Everything For You
by AndYetDuskFades
Summary: They say that when death comes, it doesn't come alone. It comes bearing gifts, memories if you like – of the things you've done and the things you've seen; of the people and the faces that you love. All there to comfort you as you die.
1. Prologue

**SEQUEL TO AND YET DUSK FADES  
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**Hey Readers, if you're new and haven't yet read 'And Yet Dusk Fades', you might want to check that one out first - or else this story might not make too much sense (there's a link to it on my profile). To everyone else, welcome back :) Hope you enjoy the sequel. If the prologue is a little confusing, I can only hope it'll begin to make more sense with subsequent chapters. Lots of love!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Leah<span>  
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They say that when death comes, it doesn't come alone. It comes bearing gifts, memories if you like – of the things you've done and the things you've seen; of the people and the faces that you love. All there to comfort you as you die.

They're not wrong. Death comes with memories. But memories aren't always a gift. Memories can be curses.

As the monster pressed his teeth against my throat, a thousand scenes ran through my mind. They weren't happy flashbacks from my younger, more carefree days, because those memories had not made me who I was today. Rather, they were of moments I'd prefer to forget – memories that innocently strangled me as I waited for the darkness to defeat me. _These_ were the memories that defined me, that made me who I was today. These were the memories that came hand in hand with death.

**(* * *)**

_When I saw Sam standing on the jetty, it was all I could do to keep myself from turning Harry's boat around and losing myself in the endless ocean for few more agonizing hours. But I knew that it was pointless; I couldn't avoid him forever. If Sam wanted to talk to me, he could afford to be patient. Hell, with Jake's order to keep me in La Push, Sam could afford to wait for all of eternity._

_Grinding my teeth together, I kept the boat on its steady course towards shore. I could already feel the anger beginning to hijack my emotions. It was different on the water, when I was alone; my anger disappeared and all that was left in its place was anguish. I came out here nearly every day now. It wasn't that I preferred the misery, but at least it gave my life some variety. When I was on land, the only place I wanted to be was on the water; once I was there, all I wanted was to turn around and go home._

_I allowed the boat to drift with a soft bump into the rubber tires that lined the side of the jetty. Without a word, Sam bent down to help me tie up the boat. Angrily, I snatched the rope from his hand and began to do it myself._

'_Leah…'_

_Ignoring Sam, I tied a large, untidy knot through the rung of the boat with a few short, furious flicks of my wrists. Keeping my eyes downcast, I stepped up onto the platform and shoved past him._

'_Leah!' Sam called more firmly as he rushed ahead of me and spun around to block my path. 'Leah, would you just listen to me for a second?'_

'_What?' I hissed, glaring up at him furiously._

_Sam looked taken aback for a second, but composed himself quickly. 'I just wanted to check that you were okay... You can't keep leaving the reservation like this – especially not without telling somebody first.'_

_A harsh laugh escaped my lips as I stared at him in disbelief. 'I'm sorry, Sam,' I said. 'Would you like me to call you every single time I step foot outside of the house? Or how about the next time I go to the bathroom? Would you like me to notify you then too?'_

_Sam frowned. 'Don't be difficult, Leah. If you keep this up, Jacob will have no choice but to ban you from going out alone in that godforsaken boat of yours. You do remember that that's how the leeches found you the last time, don't you?'_

_Seething underneath, I pressed my lips together and refused to respond._

_Noting the pause, Sam charged ahead. Though his voice softened somewhat as he continued, it only made me angrier. 'Look, Leah, I know that you think you had some sort of a… friendship… with the bloodsucker in Africa, but you're kidding yourself if you think he's any better than the rest of them. He's the enemy for crying out loud! This pining over a leech is… It's unhealthy, pure and simple… And you're stronger than that, Leah.'_

_There was a time when I would have torn him to pieces with my words, but the time for talking was over. 'Are you done?' I asked through clenched teeth._

_Sam's eyes stared deep into mine. 'I just don't want to see you hurting, Lee.'_

_I raised my eyebrows at the sick irony in his words._

_He sighed and then said in defeat, 'Okay, I'm done.'_

_I made as if to walk away, but then spun around at the last minute and threw my fist into Sam's face with as much force as I could muster. He staggered backwards, clutching his nose as hurt and disbelief flooded his eyes. 'Now we're done,' I growled. Leaving Sam staring at me in shock, I turned and began the short walk home._

_As I walked, I reveled in the feeling of pain that throbbed through my knuckles and wrist – physical pain I could deal with. Even as it began to fade, I wished that it'd last longer; I would have welcomed the distraction. Between Seth's pity, Sam's disgust and Jacob's twisted mixture of the two, it was only a matter of time before I snapped. And in all honesty, punching Sam was something I should have done a long time ago._

**(* * *)**

The screaming began suddenly as the human minds around me finally realized what was happening – shrill and piercing as they watched their fate fly at them with bloody fangs. One by one the individual screams were cut off, but not even the sickness I felt at hearing the humans die was enough to keep my mind from diving into its next memory. Why wasn't I dead yet? Why was the monster letting my mind slowly torture me? Silently, I prayed for the venom to enter my veins. I couldn't take this anymore. I wanted out.

**(* * *)**

_I walked home quickly, in a hurry for no particular reason. Slamming the front door behind me, I walked briskly towards the stairs and began to take them two at a time._

'_Leah?'_

_I stopped at the sound of my mother's voice and huffed crossly. 'What?' I called out._

_Sue walked into the room and looked up at me with the same concerned look she'd worn since I returned home from Africa. 'You have a visitor,' she said._

_I rolled my eyes. 'Tell them to go and screw themselves,' I muttered before continuing my journey up the stairs. Whoever it was, I wasn't in the mood for their crap. Not unless they also wanted a punch in the face._

'_Leah!' Sue said sharply. I stopped once more and glared down at her. 'She's waiting for you in the living room,' Sue continued. 'I'll tell her you're on your way.'_

'_There's no need,' I snapped as I stomped back down the stairs. Making no secret of my irritation, I headed towards the living room, wishing desperately that I was back in the boat._

_Still glaring at nothing in particular, I entered the room, ready to send whoever it was packing. I had to reach out and clutch the door handle in shock as I stared at my visitor. My voice was shaky as I drew in a sharp breath. 'Nattaya?'_

_Before she could reply, I bounded towards Nattaya and threw my arms around my African friend. She hugged me back weakly and I pulled away to get a better look at her. 'What are you doing –?' The rest of my words evaporated at I noticed her red, puffy eyes. 'Nattaya, what's wrong?' I gasped._

_As I spoke, tears began to run down her cheeks. 'They're dead,' she said, her voice surprisingly steady. 'Eve… Jay… They're all dead.'_

_My arms dropped from around her waist. It felt as if my stomach had turned to lead. 'What?' I mouthed, unable to speak the word out loud. I was shaking my head rapidly from side to side._

_Nattaya staggered backwards and collapsed into the nearest chair. 'It was the pale faces,' she told me, her voice monotone and dead. 'Demetri…'_

_My head was reeling. I felt dizzy and nauseous. I didn't want to think, didn't want to hear the truth. But I had to ask – I had to know. 'Demetri?' I asked faintly._

_Nattaya didn't speak for a long while. Eventually, only after I'd walked over and sunk down next to her, she spoke. Once she began, she didn't pause until her story was done. 'After you left,' she said, 'I went back to Victoria Falls. Eve didn't want me around anymore after I stood in her way to defend you. I found a job there. I didn't hear from anyone in the tribe for a few weeks, and then _he_ came. He was with another pale face. I… I didn't know… I thought he was good… His friend held my hand and then they left – just like that, with no explanation. I felt uneasy… Something didn't seem right. The next day, I left my job and went in search of my tribe. I wandered the land for a few days before I found their camp.' Nattaya took a deep breath as the tears continued to flow. 'They were all there,' she told me. 'Just lying on the ground. Dead.'_

_I squeezed my eyes shut as my own tears began to fall. 'Everyone?' I asked shakily._

_Staring ahead with ghost-like eyes, Nattaya replied. 'I never found Zara and Simba… They were so small, and it was a few days before I arrived. With wild animals about, who knows….?' She trailed off helplessly._

_As Nattaya spoke, dark ideas filled my head. They were enough to wake me from my shock and dread. I didn't know whether it was better that they were true or whether I should keep hoping I was wrong. Her tribe was dead, and I had unknowingly played a part in their fate. Even as my guilt and my grief strove to overwhelm me, I pushed it aside. There would be plenty of time to grieve later. But for now, I couldn't get past her last comment._

_I jumped up suddenly. Nattaya hardly reacted at all, except to glance at me once and then return to staring straight ahead. 'Please don't leave,' I whispered. Turning on my heel, I left her sitting there and began to run. No matter which way I looked at it, I couldn't find fault in my logic. I had to know if I was right. And, as far as I could tell, there was only one way to find out._

**(* * *)**

I _had_ been right. The thought was enough to give me one last surge of energy. But, even as I pushed against the monster that held me pinned to the ground, I knew that it was useless. I had failed. My death would not be the end. It would condemn Zara and Simba to a life of imprisonment. It wasn't enough that I'd killed the rest of their tribe. Now I would kill them too. Drowning in hopelessness, I sank back into the past.

**(* * *)**

_I swung open their door and charged in without even a hello. Except for Esme and the blonde, they were all there. I glanced around quickly at their confused faces before turning to the physic leech. 'I need you to search for the Volturi,' I said roughly._

_Alice cocked her head to the side as a smooth crease split her forehead in half. 'I'm sorry?'_

_I clenched my teeth together to keep from yelling. I had to keep it together. 'The Volturi,' I prompted. 'I need you to search for their future.'_

'_Alice.'_

_At the sound of his voice, I spun around to see Edward give his sister an encouraging nod. His face was wiped clear of emotion, though I knew he could see the horrors in my mind._

_Persuaded by Edward, Alice took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I watched carefully as her frown deepened and her face screwed up in confusion. With a small, feminine groan of frustration, she opened her eyes and turned to Jasper. 'I can't see them,' she said. 'It's like… it's like with the wolves. Something's messing with my reception.'_

_A soft murmur ran through the room, but I didn't have time to worry about their reactions. I turned to Edward. 'I need to speak with you,' I said. My voice was hard and steady. Alice's words had confirmed my fears and strengthened my resolution. I wasn't going to fall apart – not now when there were things I could do._

_With a significant look towards Carlisle, Edward followed me out the door. My fists clenched together as I heard a second set of feet behind me. Of course Bella was coming too. I forced myself to keep walking. It didn't matter; Edward would tell her everything later anyway._

_Finally I stopped and turned around. Ignoring Bella, I spoke directly to Edward. 'I need you to –'_

'_No.'_

_I began to shake. I closed my eyes and fought the tremors, waiting until they were under my control before speaking again. 'You're the only one who can change Jacob's mind,' I hissed. I knew that I was right – Jake had tried to hide his deal with Edward from me, but he knew as well as I did that there were no secrets in a pack. Jacob hated using his Alpha authority to keep me in La Push. He'd made Edward promise that the moment he read in my thoughts that I would stay on the reservation of my own accord, he'd tell Jake and the command would be lifted. You can't lie with your thoughts, and Jacob was banking on that._

'_It would never work, Leah,' Edward said. 'And if Jacob knew what you were planning, he'd never agree to it.'_

'_It isn't his choice!' I bit back. 'And if I fail, what's the worst that can happen? Aro will read my mind? So what, Edward? Who freaking cares?'_

_Edward frowned. 'You think that that's why Jacob won't let you go? In case Aro reads your thoughts and finds out everything about the pack? Geez Leah, if you go, you'll be killed. Jacob won't give a damn about Aro if you're dead.'_

_Before I could reply, Bella's soft voice chimed in. 'What's going on Edward?'_

_He turned towards her. 'The Volturi massacred the shape-shifters in Africa. They've taken two of the children to Italy.'_

_Bella gasped 'What? Is that why Alice –?'_

'_Can you just shut up?' I yelled at her. I didn't have time for her curiosity. This was between Edward and me._

_Edward made a threatening move towards me as I yelled at his wife, but Bella held him back. 'It's okay,' she murmured. Then, turning to me, she said, 'I'm sorry.'_

_I ignored her, and looked straight at Edward. 'I need you to tell Jacob that I've seen the light, and I've… I've decided to stay in La Push. I need him to lift the Alpha command so that I can leave. Please, Edward.'_

_He shook his head. 'I'm sorry, Leah, but I can't do that.'_

**(* * *)**

I could almost hear Edward's 'I told you so'. The pompous prick had known all along that I'd fail; he'd never once felt comfortable lying to Jacob. But he did. In the end, it was Bella who came through for me; and what Bella wanted, Bella got. Maybe it was her own fight to save a child's life that made her sympathetic to my cause. Whatever the reason, she gave me the chance to at least _attempt_ the rescue.

**(* * *)**

'_Leah! Leah, wait up!'_

_Tears stinging my eyes, I stopped and slowly turned around. I didn't know why I was bothering to hear her out. What could Bella Swan possibly have to say to me that could make me feel any better?_

'_What?' I asked roughly._

_Bella skidded to a halt and looked at me with large, chocolate eyes. 'I'm sorry about Edward,' she said. 'I… I don't think he understands.'_

'_And you do?' I muttered weakly. I very much doubted her perfect life gave her the slightest capacity to understand me._

'_I think I can talk him around,' she continued without acknowledging my words. 'And I've thought of a plan that might make things a little easier for you.'_

_I raised my eyebrows but didn't respond._

_Taking a soft breath, Bella began, 'You remember that night when the Volturi came for Renesmee? And I shielded us all from their attacks?'_

_I frowned, more than a little confused. 'Yeah…?'_

'_Well, I figured something out that night. When I shielded Jacob or Sam, the rest of their packs were protected too – regardless of whether I was actually shielding you or not.'_

_My eyes widened as I realized what Bella was saying. 'You'll shield Jacob once I'm gone,' I murmured. 'And that'll protect me? From Aro?'_

'_From Aro, from Jane… Alec, Demetri… all of them.'_

_I flinched when she mentioned Demetri, but forced myself to keep it together. 'Okay,' I said, nodding. 'And Edward?'_

'_I'll sort him out,' Bella said lightly, brushing the problem aside. 'But if you're going to do this, you'll need more information. Edward knows the Volturi's lair better than most. He can give you the best chance at survival.'_

_I nodded once more. 'Okay,' I said again. 'How much time do you need to talk to him?'_

'_I can be at your place in an hour.'_

'_Right.'_

_I turned around to leave, suddenly a little scared of what lay ahead._

'_Leah?'_

_Keeping my back turned, I answered, 'yeah?'_

'_I'm sorry I can't be of more use. I admire what you're doing and it breaks my heart that you have to do this alone… I want to do more to help you, I do, but I can't put my family in danger – not when the risk is this big.'_

_I knew what Bella was saying, and strangely enough I was grateful for her honesty. I swallowed the lump in my throat. 'Thanks,' I whispered quietly._

**(* * *)**

The sound of a bone breaking to the right of me brought me back to the present. Bile rose in my mouth as I realized that the screaming had stopped. My heartbeat alone remained. What was the monster waiting for? Though I'd followed Edward's advice to the letter, I hadn't been quick enough. The monster had me right where he wanted me. And yet I was still alive. A hysterical scream began to build in my throat as the monster's lips moved up my throat. I could feel his cold breath on my ear.

My scream evaporated as I heard the only voice that could reach into my nightmare and bring me back to the surface.

'Don't move an inch.'


	2. This Heart of Ice

**FIVE MONTHS EARLIER  
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**Demetri**

I hovered on the edge of the lions' camp, always downwind of its inhabitants. I was almost done; in a few minutes I would call Aro and this whole business would be over – this _part_ of it, at least. A grim smile spread across my face as an unknown lion entered my radar.

Done.

This is what I did, what the Volturi recruited me for. I was _good_ at this. 'Cataloguing' we called it – where I would wait, hidden in the shadows, and mentally focus on each creature in my immediate surroundings, tasting their aura and committing it to memory. Each new vampire or coven that crept into Aro's knowledge was soon catalogued by me. Most of the time they had no idea I was even there.

After Leah left with her pack, I waited a few days until I was sure the lions had given up the chase. And then I'd begun. I'd carefully scoured the land for the lions' scents – I had to know how many of them there were before I began to catalogue them – and in less than a day, I'd found all 37. I'd already catalogued most of the lions at the river when they'd surrounded Leah and me, but I still had a few to go. The lion I'd just noted was number 37. I was done. I had them all. Never again would they take another step without my knowledge. I was a tracker, and this is what I did.

I turned around slowly and began the trip back to Victoria Falls. As I walked, small animals scattered from my path. They were smarter than the humans – they knew what was good for them. And that list didn't include me. I sighed in frustration and gave in to the thoughts I'd been fighting back. The last week had been like this – a constant struggle to focus on the things around me. Every time my concentration lapsed, she slipped back into my mind – a ghost from my past threatening to inhabit every corner of my consciousness. _Leah_. I wondered what Aro would think when he read my thoughts and felt how I loved her. I could easily imagine the amusement that would light his eyes and the slow smile that would spread across his lips.

Suddenly furious with the image that filled my head, I shouted out in anger and punched the nearest tree. Its trunk split straight down its middle, and yet I didn't feel a thing. Slowly, as I took long, deep breaths, I began to calm down. What was the matter with me? I'd never before been this… passionate. The Volturi had taught me to keep my emotions in check, and it was a skill I'd quickly mastered. But now everything was coming undone, and I was powerless to stop it. I shoved the thought of Leah roughly aside – there was no point in letting my mind wander in a land of blissful impossibilities any longer. I had a job to do and the emotions she inspired in me were not making it any easier.

Instead I forced myself to think of a different girl – one who I'd met just once before and who would take Leah's place as the Volturi's reservoir of information. Over the past couple of days, I'd watched in my mind as Nattaya slowly made her way back to Victoria Falls. Even now, as I thought of her, my mind quickly located Nattaya in a location not far from the motel Leah and I had stayed at only a few weeks before. I wondered at her decision to return to the town – it had played right into my hands. Alone and vulnerable, without her tribe to protect her, Nattaya would make the perfect informant.

I was in no hurry to condemn the tribe to Aro's hands. I felt sick at the thought of what I was about to do, but my mind was set; my decision had been made. I tried to tell myself that it was better this way – regardless of what I did or didn't do, the Volturi knew where the lions were and would go after them at all costs. Without my cooperation, they would seek Leah out and use her to aid their cause. This way, at least, Leah was safe. And, with me working for Aro, the lions were in the best possible position they could be given the situation. I was on their side. And having someone on their side working for the enemy might just prove invaluable.

I knew that Aro would read the resistance in my thoughts. But I also knew that he wouldn't act on it. Of all the guard, my mind was the most valuable to him – add that to my fighting ability and the Volturi would be stupid to do anything that might jeopardize my allegiance to them. And what did Aro have to be concerned about in any case? I was doing everything he would ask of me; I might have been resistant, but at least I was cooperating.

And perhaps it was strange that I was so against Aro's plan to recruit one or two of the lions. After all, until I met Leah, I had never once considered leaving the Volturi myself. But this was different. Without the Volturi, I had nothing – nowhere to go and no one to go to. But without the Volturi, the lions had _life_. Their tribe was better off without our interference.

That knowledge, though, was not enough to change my mind. It was why I had catalogued the lions, and why I would take Aro to meet Nattaya. He would read her thoughts and find out everything there was to know about each member of the tribe. In the same way that he'd known to target Leah, he'd know exactly which lions to approach. And as hard as it was to believe that any lion would accept an offer to join forces with the Volturi, I'd seen enough of Aro's work to know that he could be very convincing when he wanted something.

And he _wanted_ them. Even more than he wanted Alice Cullen. I remembered how Caius had suggested killing the whole tribe once Leah and I found them – Aro had almost banned Caius from playing any further part in the discussions. Aro would stop at _nothing_ to add a couple of shape-shifters to the Volturi's repertoire of supernatural abilities, and I was kidding myself if I thought that anything I did would thwart his plans.

On the flip side of the coin, I could use my tracking ability to ensure that Aro's plan went as smoothly as possible. Once he decided which lions to target, I could make sure they were alone before we approached them. I could stand by Aro as he persuaded them to join us, and maybe even use my friendship with Leah to convince the lions that we weren't the enemy. Yes, I _could_ do all of this, and I _would_. Because helping Aro was the best way to ensure that things didn't get messy. If all went as planned, there would be no fighting, and none of the lions would end up hurt. Aided by Chelsea's talents, a small number of them would accompany us back to Italy, and perhaps then I could figure out a way to return them to where they belonged. But until that time, my hands were tied. Until then, I would act every bit the cold-hearted creature that I was created to be.

With renewed determination, I began to run. An hour later, I stopped just short of Victoria Falls and pulled out my mobile phone. I keyed in a hasty string of numbers and lifted the phone to my ear. It didn't even ring twice before Aro answered.

'Ah, Demetri, I was wondering when it was that I would hear from you next. I was beginning to wonder if you hadn't simply _lost interest_ in your task.'

'No Master,' I said evenly. 'Everything is ready for you.'

'Then the girl is no longer with the tribe?'

I stiffened at his reference to Leah. 'No, Master.'

The smile in Aro's voice was almost audible. 'She is with you?'

I took a deep breath. 'No.'

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line before a dark, threatening chuckle echoed in my ear. 'Forgive me, Demetri,' Aro said. 'It's just that I almost thought I heard you say 'no'. But, since the only task I set you was to take the girl to the Africa and then bring her to me, I fear that I must be mistaken.'

I clenched my teeth together. 'You are not mistaken, Master. Her pack followed her to Africa, and things got a little heated when they arrived. She has returned now to La Push.'

I heard something crash in the background, and then Aro was in my ear once more. He sighed flamboyantly before speaking. 'Demetri, Demetri, _Demetri_… Of all the –'

'I have someone better.'

I could picture Aro's eyes narrowing. 'Go on,' he prompted darkly.

'Her name's Nattaya,' I told him slowly. 'She's been living with the tribe until recently.'

'And where is this _Nattaya_ now?'

'She's here in Victoria Falls.'

I could hear Aro's eagerness being reignited. 'And will she accompany you to Italy?'

I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the part I was playing in the lions' fate. 'With all due respect, Master, I think that taking her to Italy will only arouse suspicion. I would suggest that you meet with her here, in Africa.'

Aro's tone was suddenly brisk. 'Very well, Demetri. I want you on the next flight home. From there we shall discuss our _options_.'

By 'discuss our options', I knew that Aro meant he'd read my mind. He would never agree to my suggestion without touching me first, and there was no way he'd leave Volterra for a task so bland as that – despite the likelihood of me arriving in Italy only to have to turn back around and return to Africa with the rest of the guard.

I ended the call and shoved the phone roughly into my pocket. Pulling my grey cloak from my bag, I threw it over my shoulders and draped the hood over my head. Time to play human. I made my way towards a quiet road that I remembered from mine and Leah's travels. From there, I planned walk into town and then catch a taxi to the airport. I paused momentarily as I passed the point where Leah had challenged me to a race. The moment seemed so far away and yet so near. It had been during that race that I'd retrieved her compass from her bag and tinkered with it so that 'East' and 'West' were swapped around, amongst other things. That way, Leah could never be 100% sure where exactly we were. If she accidentally slipped and phased, her brothers would only get a rough idea as to where we actually were. I did it incase. To buy us time. But all the time in the world hadn't been enough to stop Leah from leaving.

At the time, I'd been so sure that I knew what I was doing. But there were times like now when I wished I'd tried a little harder to convince her to stay with me. The only thing that had stopped me was the knowledge that Leah could never love something like me. Leah made herself very clear – she didn't share my feelings. And now she was there and I was here, a hollow mess with an empty purpose. How she'd got under my skin in such a short period of time, I would never know. If I was smart, I'd wish that Aro had never sent me on this journey in the first place. But I couldn't bring myself to regret meeting Leah. She was –.

My head snapped up as I smelt it. I was running before I even knew which direction the scent was coming from. As I saw the man lying on the road, bathed in a pool of blood, I came to an abrupt halt. I scanned the area twice quickly and then approached him cautiously. Eyes wild with thirst, I forced myself to stop and listen. Thud… thud… _thud_… The man's heart was still beating, but only just. I was vaguely aware of the fact that there were no cars about, signifying a probable hit and run.

I held back for a moment longer than I normally would have. I usually had better control than this, but I hadn't tasted human blood for a good few weeks now. I hadn't even fed off of animals since Leah left. It was the thought of her that pushed me over the edge. She was the one thing that could make me consider walking away, and I recognized the danger in such thoughts at once. I had to forget about her. Maybe I would have been strong enough on my own to resist feeding from the human. But in a moment of heated anger – at myself and at the situation – I lunged towards the dying man. _Leah was gone. _There was no point in denying it any longer. I gave in to my instincts because it was easier. Because I needed to prove to myself that I didn't care as much as I knew I did.

Even as I sunk my teeth into the man's throat, I hated myself for what I was. I felt sick at the pleasure that swept through my body as I relieved it of its thirst. It was my father all over again. I despised everything inside of me that made me drain the remaining life from the defenseless human being. I pulled away in disgust as his blood ran dry, shoving his body away from me with such unexpected force that it threw the man against one of the thick baobab trees that lined the road. His body fell, crumpled and broken, to the ground.

I waited – a guardian over the dead – until someone arrived at the scene. It was a dusty red pickup truck that eventually came down the road. I heard it long before it came into view, and I was concealed within the branches of a nearby tree in under five seconds. I didn't know why I stayed – why I watched as the young female driver pulled over and, walking over to the man, suddenly covered her mouth with her hands in shock. I wanted to look away as she pulled out her phone and dialed for an ambulance, but I forced myself to witness the horrors of my crime.

As the guilt flooded through me, I reminded myself that I deserved this. I _deserved_ to see what I had done – to see myself for who and what I was. As I tried to look at anything other than the disfigured corpse on the side of the road, my eyes fell on the reflection in the truck's side mirror. A familiar pair of eyes stared back at me from the glass; even as I watched, they changed colour from the golden hue of innocence to a dark, muddy brown – not quite the shade of scarlet that they once were.

I turned my head away, repulsed, and leapt lightly from the tree where I hid. I was quick enough and quiet enough to escape without the woman's notice. Walking too fast for a human, I soon reached the town. I hailed a cab and after muttering a few directions to the driver, sank down into the back seat, breathing fast. Why now? Why all of a sudden? It wasn't that Leah had changed my views about hunting humans. Rather, she had forced me to confront a part of me that, until now, I'd managed to avoid thinking about. I closed my eyes and willed the taxi to move faster.

Twenty minutes later, I stood in a line waiting to buy tickets for the next plane out of Africa. The flight I would book myself onto was still over a day away. If I was a human, I could sleep the time away. But I wasn't human and I couldn't sleep away the next twenty-four hours. Unlike my human counterparts, _my_ nightmares would come as I lay awake.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter inspired by 'This Heart of Ice' by Nomy (I can't get over how perfect this song is for Demetri)<strong>

**Thanks for all your continuing support everyone xoxo**


	3. Red Eyes

'Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to please fasten your seatbelt for landing.'

I opened my eyes and looked at the air steward in tired exasperation. Briefly, I lifted my gaze to the pair of air hostesses that stood behind him, staring at me and giggling like schoolgirls. The tall, dark one – I suppose most would call her pretty – blushed and averted her eyes. Lifting my eyebrows in contempt, I returned my gaze to the steward. Then, pointedly ignoring his request, I pushed my seat back as far as it would go and closed my eyes once more.

'Sir.' His voice was a little firmer this time, although I could make out an uncertain tremble behind his speech.

With my eyes still closed, I sighed quietly and pulled the flimsy pieces of fabric together, fastening the buckle with slow and deliberate execution.

'And your chair, Sir.'

'What about it?' I muttered.

'It must remain in the upright position throughout take-off and landing.'

I opened my eyes and stared at him. Keeping my gaze locked on the steward's, I fingered for the small button on the front of the armrest and pushed it so that my chair snapped back into place. I raised my eyebrows once more. 'Happy?'

The steward gave me a dirty look but didn't reply. With eyes still narrowed, he turned and left to find his next victim. No sooner had he gone when the shorter of the two air hostesses walked up to me.

'Is there anything I can get for you, Sir?'

I stared at the heavily-applied makeup that obscured the girl beneath. 'Like what?' I asked darkly.

'I don't know,' she replied, smiling coyly back at me. 'That depends on what you want.'

I nodded towards an old man three rows behind me. He was desperately trying to attract the attention of one of the flight attendants. 'Something tells me that he's in much greater need of your assistance.'

The girl laughed delicately. 'Well, if you change your mind…'

'I'll know who to call,' I finished for her, completely unamused by the cheeky grin she threw my way as she turned to leave.

It wasn't as if I was usually best friends with the humans; but I wasn't usually this rude either. I had a lot on my mind and I couldn't find time to care for their idyllic ignorance. Besides, what good was a seat-belt to _me_? Or an over-eager air hostess for that matter? I closed my eyes and resumed my tedious pretence at sleep.

Eighteen minutes, three and a half seconds later, the plane touched down in Italy. I gave a quiet, cynical laugh. It's not like I had anything better to do with my time than count each second as it passed. The gentleman sitting beside me opened his eyes for the first time since take-off and shot me a curious glance. Annoyed for no particular reason, I stared straight back at him until he looked away, outwardly embarrassed at having been caught staring.

The seat-belt lights had been off for less than a second before I was standing at the front of the plane waiting to be let off. I hadn't bothered to collect my bag from the overhead lockers – there was nothing in there that I even remotely needed anymore.

The air steward I'd spoken to earlier was standing at the door, waiting to wave passengers off of the airplane. Moving aside so that I could pass, he said in a flat voice, 'Thank you flying with us today, Sir. We hope you enjoy your stay in Italy.'

With a short nod in his direction, I pushed past the steward and made my way quickly to customs, where I passed through without any hassles. Moments later, I stood outside in the Italian air, staring at the familiar scenery. There was no one there to greet me, of course, but I took a moment to stare at the passersby anyway. To my right stood a young family, reunited after time apart. The man put down his suitcase to lift his young child onto his shoulders, whilst his partner watched with happy tears falling like crystal droplets on her cheeks.

Frowning, I turned away.

Half an hour later, I stood motionless on a familiar cobbled street. Resolve building inside of me, I took a long, deep breath and turned right into the next narrow street. The entrance to the medieval castle in which we based ourselves was fairly nondescript, although it was tasteful enough that Heidi never had any trouble coaxing anyone inside. The wooden doors swung inwards at my slight touch, opening up to a large, empty lobby.

With only a short glance around the room, I made my way to the elevator doors situated at the far end of the lobby. Pressing the 'up' arrow, I waited impatiently for the shiny, silver doors to slide open. The lift took me two floors up to an elegantly decorated reception area, where I stepped out and turned to greet Gianna, the human girl who'd made it her ambition in life to become one of us. I did a slight double take as my eyes rested on an unfamiliar blonde woman sitting behind the desk in Gianna's usual seat. Granted, I'd never been the girl's biggest fan, but Aro seemed to like Gianna well enough – I hadn't expected him to dispose of her _that_ quickly.

'Hi,' the blonde woman said, smiling politely back at me. 'Can I help you?'

I frowned and turned my back on her, ignoring the question completely. This girl still had a lot to learn if she thought that she could, in any way, _help_ a member of the Volturi. I made my way down a wide hall to the left of the elevator doors, walking until I reached a set of doors leading to small, stone antechamber. As I moved through the chamber to the brightly lit turret beyond, I paused briefly and looked around me. The room was fairly empty; only Aro, Marcus, Caius and Chelsea stood waiting for me.

I'd barely taken a step towards him when Aro clapped his hands together in delight and adorned me with a welcoming smile. 'Demetri!' he remarked cheerfully, as if surprised to see me. 'How wonderful it is that you have joined us again at last!'

'Master,' I responded curtly, nodding in Aro's direction. 'Marcus, Caius.' I didn't acknowledge Chelsea other than to throw a polite smile in her direction.

Aro's smile grew. 'Well, what are you standing there for, Demetri? Let us embrace in greeting!'

My lips pressed together in a tight line as I walked stiffly forwards. I was only a few feet away when Aro reached out and grasped my left hand in both of his. I watched him carefully, analyzing his reaction. I knew him well enough to register the surprise that momentarily flickered across his features, before being replaced by an expression of pure glee.

Aro let out a low chuckle as he dropped my hand. 'How wonderful it is that you have joined us, indeed,' he murmured quietly. Then, looking around at the rest of the vampires, he exclaimed in a louder voice, 'It seems that our friend, Demetri, has enjoyed his task in Africa even more than we could have ever hoped!'

Marcus stared back at me with the same bored expression he'd worn since I first met him. Caius, on the other hand, looked from Aro to me with his head cocked to the side and eyes narrowed. Appearing as if he was about to burst from excitement, Aro turned to Chelsea. 'Do you feel that, my dear?' he asked. 'Our old friend appears to have formed some new _bonds_ on his latest journey.'

I felt a strange tingling sensation sweep quickly through my mind. As it moved across my consciousness, I felt almost … indifferent… towards everything that had happened in the past few weeks. But the moment passed before panic could set in. At the same time, Chelsea frowned and reached out to touch Aro's hand. A sense of relief flooded through me as I realized what he was seeing. Chelsea's gift couldn't touch me. My ties to Leah were too strong.

'Huh!' Aro said softly as his eyes widened and his brows rose slightly. He cocked his head and looked at me curiously. 'I wonder… does the girl feel the same way about you?'

Understanding the meaning behind his words at once, I pulled my fist back threatening and took a step towards Aro. Even if she did love me back, I would _never_ use my relationship with Leah to convince her to join us.

'Careful, Demetri,' Aro said darkly. 'Or somebody might get the wrong impression.' I dropped my fist. 'Still,' Aro continued, suddenly cheerful again. 'Having her become one of us wouldn't be such a bad idea, all things considered. _You_ want her around. And even if she doesn't love you back, Chelsea could work her magic and perhaps trick the wolf into believing that she does. V_oila_! Everyone's happy!'

Aro's speech was almost enough to spark a flash of interest in Marcus's expressionless eyes. But Caius beat him to the question. 'What?' he exclaimed. 'Demetri's in love with the wolf?' He ran his fingers through his hair in annoyance. 'As if we don't have enough problems already!'

I straightened. 'Problems?' I asked evenly.

Aro laughed dramatically. 'And so he does still care!' he cried. 'Here I was thinking that you'd forgotten all about your poor, troubled family here in Italy! Luckily for you, the problems to which Caius was referring allude only to his unfounded belief that perhaps the shape-shifters will not be such a welcome new addition to our coven.'

I studied Caius. His white hair fell in his eyes as he glared back at me. At least we shared some sentiments, I thought to myself, though I knew his solution to the problem differed greatly from mine.

'Speaking of which,' Aro remarked suddenly, 'I must introduce you to our newest member of the family, Demetri.' Tugging on my arm eagerly, he led me back through the large, ornate hallway to the reception area. Gesturing grandly to the blonde woman behind the mahogany desk, he said with the flourish of a salesman, 'This lovely, young lady goes by the name of Leah.' He turned to me and said quietly with a slight shrug, 'Sorry, I know you're into more of the dark, emotionally-damaged kind, but she's the best I could do on short notice.'

I swallowed and clenched my jaw.

'Oh, I didn't know when I hired _this_ Leah that you actually loved the other one,' Aro said lightly, reading the question in my eyes. 'But you wouldn't have allowed the Clearwater girl to return home if you hadn't had at least _some_ sort of a hidden agenda. Besides, if I can't have that one, then why not have this one?' Aro smiled suggestively and turned to the woman. 'Leah,' he said. 'May I introduce you to Demetri?'

I spun on my heels and stormed from the room, seething as I heard Aro's quiet chuckle behind me.

**(* * *)**

'Demetri?'

I didn't turn at the sound of Chelsea's soft voice. 'What is it?' I asked gruffly. I was standing in one of the castle's smaller, more hidden rooms, staring out of a dingy window at the city beyond.

'I'm… confused,' she said slowly.

'Yeah, well good luck with that,' I muttered, turning from the window and making my way to the door. As Chelsea stuck out an arm to stop me, I regarded her shrewdly. Sighing in frustration, I gave in to what she wanted. 'Why Chelsea? Why are you confused?' I asked, allowing a patronizing tone to inject itself into my voice.

She bit her bottom lip before continuing. 'Before you left… you were one of the easier vampires to keep bonded to the Volturi. How can that change in so short a time?'

My eyes followed Chelsea's mousy brown hair to where it fell across her shoulders. I'd never really had much to do with her. Sure, we were polite enough when we dealt with one another, but I didn't remember ever having had an actual conversation with her. 'Where is everyone else?' I asked. 'Felix and everybody?'

Chelsea frowned. She didn't like that I was changing the subject, but she answered me anyway. 'Alec, Jane and Felix are in South America – they're running an errand for Aro.' Eyeing me through narrowed eyelids, she paused and then said, 'But you already knew that.'

My mind automatically located the three vampires in Chile. Of course they were in South America. Whilst I was in Africa chasing lions, the three of them had been sent to find out about the half-vampire children that Aro was so curious about. I gave Chelsea a lopsided grin. 'That's right,' I said, as if I'd only just remembered their whereabouts. 'Aro's all about diverse culture these days, isn't he? Next thing you know we'll be recruiting wizards.'

Chelsea gave a small giggle and I laughed in spite of myself. Maybe she wasn't so bad. Then, as a curious thought struck me, I frowned. 'You keep everyone else bonded to the Volturi,' I said. 'But who keeps you here, Chelsea? What makes _you_ stay?'

She stopped smiling and shrugged. 'You'd stay… even if I wasn't around to make you.'

'Maybe,' I murmured, though I knew that she was right. The Volturi were the only home I'd known in this life. They had taken me in and taught me to fight. They'd even honed my tracking skills to make them what they were today. Even if I'd rather be somewhere else, _this_ is where I knew that I belonged.

'So,' Chelsea prompted abruptly, 'are you going to answer my question or not?'

Once more I changed the subject. 'When are they returning?' I asked.

Chelsea looked at me quizzingly. 'Aro spoke to Jane yesterday. He's asked them to return as soon as possible… Whatever they've found in South America, he wants your lions more.'

I ran my hand across the back of my neck, agitated. 'And, in answer to your question, I don't know. But if you find out the answer, let me know.'

Chelsea's voice turned suddenly cold. 'Don't be stupid about this, Demetri. Aro is a dangerous enemy.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' I replied, just as coldly, before walking away and leaving her standing there alone.

As I moved through the castle, on my way to nowhere in particular, I reflected on the conversation I'd just had with Chelsea. If I was honest with myself, I would admit that it had been nice to finally have a conversation with somebody else – regardless of the subject matter. I had been living on my own for a while now and I had somewhat enjoyed the company she'd provided. That said, I was looking forward to Felix's return. If there was anyone I could trust to keep me distracted – without the difficult questions – it was Felix.

**(* * *)**

He returned from Chile with Jane and Alec a week later.

After a sleepless night spent wandering the Italian streets, I walked into the castle turret. I hadn't been focusing on any members of the Volturi in the last couple of hours, and so I was slightly surprised to hear the soft babble of voices that greeted my arrival. Felix was there, along with most of the guard.

'Hey, man!' he said, bounding up to me and slapping my back in greeting. He took a step back and winked at me mischievously. 'Word is someone got a little action on their trip to Africa.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Nice to see you too, Felix.'

Felix gasped in mock horror. 'What, no comeback? Caius wasn't lying then – you actually do have a thing for the wolf!' He grinned, 'Dude that's sick!'

I raised my eyebrows and threw him an overly-smug smile. 'Word is you didn't find anything in South America.'

Felix's smile faded, though his eyes still sparkled playfully. 'Says who?'

'Says all the facts that point to it. One, you're home. Two, Aro never would have brought you back if you'd had anything concrete to go by… And three,' I shrugged, 'since when has the Volturi ever managed to find anyone without me?'

Felix barked in laughter and punched me lightly on the arm. 'Nice to see you too, you arrogant son of a –'

'Children!' Aro's voice sounded loudly from the doorway. As one, we all turned to look at him. 'As fascinating as your conversations all are,' he continued smoothly, 'we have a plane to catch… Demetri has a few friends he'd like us to meet.' With a delighted grin, Aro held up a wad of airplane tickets to Zimbabwe.

Felix whooped in excitement. One by one, the members of the Volturi guard filed past Aro, donning their grey cloaks in preparation for our journey. Finally, just Aro and I were left in the room.

'You'll take me to Nattaya,' Aro said, 'and from there, we'll decide our next move.'

I wiped my face clear of any emotion and nodded. 'Yes, Master.'

* * *

><p><strong>'Red Eyes' by Switchfoot<strong>


	4. Over My Head

**Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while since I've posted. Just a quick comment before you begin reading - I know a lot of you are missing Leah in this (I really am too), but she'll back in chapter 6 so don't worry :) Anyway, I hope you're all having a good week! Hopefully the next chapter won't be too long away!**

* * *

><p>Felix regarded me suspiciously from the seat on my left hand side. We were a few hours into the flight and I'd been silent for most of the trip. Not one to hold back, he suddenly blurted, 'So what's your problem with the lions joining us anyway?'<p>

I was well aware that as he spoke, Jane, who sat on the other side of Felix, leaned slightly forward and tipped her ear nonchalantly towards the two of us. Ignoring her, I took an even breath. Aro already knew my every thought, so why bother keeping them to myself?

'Aro wants to use them. For his own purposes, not for theirs,' I eventually said, my tone clipped and quiet.

'So what?' Felix asked, a slightly frustrated frown forming on his brow. 'He uses all of us for his own purposes! And our lives with the Volturi are pretty damn good if you ask me.' He grinned suddenly, stuck by some unknown thought.

'Our lives here are good because we're murderers by nature – with or without the Volturi,' I hissed. 'But what we do – the way we live our lives – goes against everything the tribe stands for! To take any of them to Italy is to imprison them!'

'Again,' Felix scoffed, 'so _what_? Chelsea will make them feel loyalty to us so that they don't care whether or not they're going against everything –'

'No,' I cut in, my voice threateningly low. 'I will only allow Chelsea's gift to keep them quiet for so long.'

Before Felix could reply, Jane laughed softly. Turning to face me with daring eyes, she smiled dangerously. 'And who's going to stop her, Demetri? You?' She laughed again as my fists curled in anger.

When I didn't reply, Felix barked a short, shocked laugh. 'You've got to be kidding me, right? You honestly think that you can stop the lions from joining us?'

I gazed forwards, rigid in my seat. 'Nothing can stop the lions from joining us now.'

'So then why –'

'Demetri thinks that once we're safely back in Italy, he can somehow return the shape-shifters to Africa,' Jane said melodiously, cocking her head as she looked at me. 'Isn't that right, Demetri?'

I stared at her as a burning fury began to prickle across my skin. Jane was clearly enjoying herself. I snorted. It wasn't like I was surprised – the two of us had never really got on. Apart from Chelsea, I was the most valuable member of the Volturi; my gift was _crucial_ to Aro's success. Jane's on the other hand, though unarguably useful, was not essential. Though he certainly enjoyed Jane's little quirks, Aro had more than one means of punishment at his disposal. Nevertheless, Jane's jealousy made for a bitter companion. I rolled my eyes, but kept quiet.

Noting my silence, Felix burst into snorts of laughter. 'Is she serious?' he eventually controlled himself enough to ask. 'Dude, you forgot to incorporate a mind reader into your plans!'

'Oh, Aro already knows,' Jane said lightly, turning now to face Felix. 'It's why Demetri hasn't formulated any definite plans as of yet. It's why he's _waiting_.'

'So she is smarter than she looks, then,' I murmured quietly, nudging Felix and raising my brows.

A wide grin split Felix's face in two as an angry hiss came from Jane's direction. 'Careful, man,' he said. 'If she's right about your plans, then you've gone mad!' He closed his eyes and lifted his arms in an ostentatious stretch. Tucking both of his hands behind his head, Felix continued to snigger quietly to himself. 'You'll never succeed, Dem,' he told me in between laughs. 'But, at the very least, it'll be interesting to watch you try.'

I tipped my head back to stare at the ceiling and sighed. 'Yeah…' I replied, speaking more to myself than to Felix. ''Interesting' is one way to describe it.'

Done with talking, I became still. Only my eyes moved as I watched hundreds of dust particles dance across the ceiling above me; with every breath and movement from my fellow passengers, numerous specks began a spiraling downwards dive. I shook my head in frustration. Jane was right about my intentions. Unfortunately, she was also right about my chances of success – the task I'd set for myself was insane, if not impossible.

I turned to look outside the window and in its reflection caught sight of Chelsea, sitting three rows behind me, staring, as I was, into the nothingness beyond. As I thought back to the conversation I'd had with her a few days earlier, a small frown formed between my eyebrows. Vampires weren't made to live together; large covens like ours and that of the Cullens were rare. It was only through the use of Chelsea's gift that the Volturi's effectiveness was made possible – without her, many of us would leave Italy. And yet the question remained: what kept Chelsea loyal? It was by no means an insignificant question. Though there were still other aspects I would need to take into account, Chelsea – as Felix and Jane had already alluded to – was really the key to my success. Since it was only through Chelsea that the lions would join us, it followed that it was only through Chelsea that the lions would, or could, leave us. If there was some way to get her on my side, then maybe I'd stand a chance. _No_! A brick wall slammed down on my thoughts at once. I couldn't afford to come even close to formulating a plan – not whilst Aro was nearby. My plan had to be spontaneous and rapid; it needed to be effective, and I had to be able to carry it out only moments after it was made. Though endless hours of airplane-induced boredom still awaited me, there was never a time that was less suited to scheming than now.

As they did whenever I tried to clear my mind, memories of Leah reached in and enveloped my thoughts, blanketing all else in sight. I couldn't prevent my realization that there were other allies I could count on besides Chelsea. The wolves – and perhaps even the Cullens – would certainly share my interests in defending the lions. Sure, they viewed me as the enemy; but a common cause often shifted enemies onto one another's side. I gritted my teeth together. I would _never _ask for their aid. If Leah knew what Aro was planning, she would jump at the chance to fight against him; she wouldn't think twice about risking her life for the tribe. But _I _would never allow that to happen. It was why my first priority had been to send her home with her brothers. Though my decision may well have weakened my chances of success, it was one I would make a thousand times over. Because, when it came down to it, I would endanger my own life and those of the lions long before I endangered Leah's.

As I thought of her, my mind found Leah back in La Push, only a hundred or so meters from where we'd first met – officially, at least. I wasn't all that surprised; my thoughts often searched for her, and more often than not I located Leah on the water – alone, as far as I could tell, in Harry's boat. I couldn't deny that part of me was desperate to know why she spent so much time on the ocean. Did some part of Leah find me less repulsive than what she'd always lead me to believe? Or was it really just a coincidence that that was where we'd met? With nothing better to do, and with nowhere I'd rather be, I slipped back into the past, swimming in memories of the night I'd met Leah.

**(* * *)**

_The wolf-girl couldn't have made it any easier for me. A slow, triumphant smile spread across my face as my mind watched her steadily moving away from land. Silently, I took a step into the water, sliding beneath its surface with barely a ripple. I moved rapidly through the ocean, my tracker's brain guiding my every movement. When an eerie shadow darkened the water around me, I knew that I was beneath her boat. Pausing, I began to listen for any clues above me that might aid my task._

_There was only silence. Just as my head broke the surface of the water, I heard it: a broken, lifeless sob. Something within me stirred, but I pushed it aside. Aro had told me how to use her pain to my advantage, and it seemed that I couldn't have come at a better time. Quickly, before my weight could even tip the boat, I curled my fingers around its edge and hoisted myself onto the vessel._

_The girl had her back to me. Short, dark strands of hair fell messily across her neck, exposing only an inch of smooth, tanned skin. I swallowed._

'_Bye, Dad,' she whispered._

_I barely had time to wonder at her words before she spun around in her seat, staring at me with wild, defiant eyes. She reflexly grabbed the seat beneath her and broke off a small piece of wood in uncontrolled anger. Seconds later, a growl ripped through her teeth. So she was a feisty one, I thought, smiling to myself. When Aro had described her to me as an emotional wreck, I had to admit that I'd been a little put out. But the girl in front of me, sitting with tensed muscles as if ready to fight me, was nothing like what I'd expected. I cocked my head to the side as I regarded her curiously._

_I thought of how long it'd taken me to get the girl alone. Finally, after days of waiting, I could start on my task. I lifted my head to look her directly in the eye. 'At last we meet.'_

_The girl didn't respond, other than to lift her lips in a menacing smile. I raised my eyebrows in surprise; it wasn't often that my victims _smiled_ at me. Then again, something told me that this wasn't your run-of-the-mill victim. I looked around me and my eyes landed on the piece of broken seat that the girl had dropped. Determined to elicit a more satisfactory response from her, I crouched to the floor and reached for the piece of wood. She recoiled from the proximity of my arm._

_Pausing, I grinned and looked up at her. This_ _reaction was more like what I was used to. 'Skittish, aren't you?' I murmured, lifting myself back into my seat. _

_I held the girl's gaze, daring her to respond. Her face hardened as she glared back at me, all signs of fear now wiped from her expression. The intensity of her stare was enough to cause me to look away, though I chuckled to myself as I did so. Forcing myself to keep talking, I tried to distract her from the fact that I was a little out of my comfort zone. 'It wasn't easy, you know… to get you alone,' I told the girl, glancing up only momentarily to make sure that she was listening. I smiled. To be honest, the challenge had been rather interesting. 'Enjoyable, certainly,' I continued. 'But still, it was difficult. I almost had you the first time. That night on the cliff? You remember, of course. I was careless, though. I sensed one of your pack mates heading towards me and I had to leave. Aro was mad, you know – said we'd exposed ourselves without meeting our objective.' I rolled my eyes as I remembered my master's reaction. 'But I told him I'd achieve what I set out to do. And now look – here you are, gift-wrapped and everything.'_

_The girl still didn't look scared, though she appeared hesitant as she asked, 'What do you want?'_

_Enjoying the internal battle that waged behind her eyes, I got on with my task. 'You and your brothers, as I am sure you are well aware, are of great interest to the Volturi.' I told her, eyeing her carefully as I gauged her reaction._

_The girl's eyes began to burn furiously as she spat her next words at me. 'You want a guard dog.' Moments later, she shut her eyes as if in denial of my presence._

_I frowned. She certainly wasn't stupid, though she had no idea how much of what she said was the truth and how much was a lie. My voice hardened as I thought of Aro's plans. He wanted to expand the Volturi to include shape-shifters. Though few of us shared his curiosity, we were still bound by his will. 'We do not seek your servitude, no.'_

_The girl's eyes flew open in surprise, and I wondered what in my words had caught her attention. 'What then?' she asked._

_I took in a slow breath. Every phrase I used from now was crucial. I couldn't afford to slip up, not if I wanted the girl's cooperation. I narrowed my eyelids and studied her, analyzing her every reaction to my words. 'We came here seeking your assistance.' From what Aro had been telling me, my next words would cut deeply at the girl who sat in front of me. I was suddenly reluctant to speak my master's lies, for no reason other than the broken sob that kept echoing in my head. Annoyed with myself, I continued. 'The assistance of any one of you, I suppose – but yours in particular.'_

_Her voice was hard as she called me out. 'Why mine in particular?'_

_Her reaction was all wrong. I was used to being the one in control of these sorts of encounters, but at the moment, I felt anything but in control. Trying to snatch back the upper hand, I made my voice cold and prepared myself for the girl's reaction. 'It seems only logical that you would be the easiest wolf to convince. One of our coven senses relationships. Our meeting last year led him to believe that you are not as… tightly bound to your pack as the rest of your kind are.' I breathed deeply. 'Or rather, they are not as tightly bound to _you_.'_

_The girl leapt to her feet only moments after I'd finished speaking. I stood defensively as she threw herself towards me. Grabbing her wrists, I held her away from my body as she fought in vain against my grip. 'How dare you, you dirty, blood-sucking leech!'_

**(* * *)**

_Dirty, blood-sucking leech_.

Leah's words echoed in my head as the plane hit a spell of turbulence, each violent bump accentuating her insults. I was sucking in sharp, shallow breaths. The memory had left my thoughts spinning, exhausted and out of control. Because, regardless of all that had changed since that night, I was still sitting in exactly the same place that the dirty, blood-sucking leech Leah had yelled at would have occupied in this moment. In spite of everything, I was doing precisely as he would have done. And I couldn't see another way out.

When the airplane finally landed several hours later, I filed out in relief with the nine other members of the Volturi that had flown to Africa. As one, we lifted our hoods to shadow our faces as we stepped outside into the morning sun.

'Now,' Aro said, walking a few steps ahead and then spinning around to face all of us. 'Demetri will come with me. The rest of you will join Marcus and Caius; they will lead you to a final meeting point, where Demetri and I will arrive within a few hours.'

Silently, Marcus and Caius began to move swiftly towards the far end of the car-park, where a small bus – not unlike the one Leah and I had caught – awaited them. Felix threw me a grin as he turned to follow the two vampires, along with the rest of the guard.

'We're not catching the bus?' I questioned Aro.

He smiled. 'Oh, no. Buses are much too crowded for my liking. Come, Demetri,' he said, walking over to an orange and black taxi. Rapping smartly on the window, he waited for the worn-out cab driver to roll down the glass and peer out. Aro's eyes lit up as he subtly brushed his hand against that of the taxi driver. 'My _shamwari_ and I need to borrow your car,' Aro said to him. 'We shall return it by nightfall.'

The driver stared as us in disbelief, before clucking his tongue. '_Iwe_!' he exclaimed, shaking his head. 'No, Boss!'

Aro smiled dangerously before rattling off a polite-sounding string of Shona to the man. As he spoke, the driver's eyes widened in fear. He turned to look at me before leaping from the taxi. Leaving his keys in the ignition, he spoke in rapid Shona to Aro and then turned and walked away, turning every few steps to glance back at the two of us.

'Classy,' I muttered to Aro. I could easily imagine the things he'd said to the driver to coax his cooperation. With Aro's mind reading skills, who knew what dark secrets he'd used to blackmail the taxi driver?

Ignoring my comment, Aro gestured towards the driver's seat. 'In you go, Demetri. It's time you took me to meet this Nattaya I've been hearing so much about.' Touching my forearm briefly, Aro walked around to the other side of the cab and climbed in next to me.

I had the engine started before he had even closed the door. Seconds later, I was speeding from the car park, following my tracker's instinct towards where I knew Nattaya was located. Hating myself with every kilometer I drove, I inched closer and closer to the girl I'd met just a few weeks ago. When I finally pulled up outside the building she was in, I slid easily into a parallel park between two rusted vans. I was out of the car in a second, as was Aro.

The building was a run-down bricked complex, stained with yellow dust. I could feel Aro's eyes on me as I strode up to the door and knocked softly with the back of my knuckles. It took nearly a minute for the door to open a couple of inches, and for a pair of hazel eyes to peer out at me. I heard a soft gasp and the door swung open.

'Demetri?'Nattaya murmured softly, her eyes wide with surprise. 'What are you still doing here? I thought you'd left! Where's Leah? Is she still –?'

'Leah's back home in La Push,' I told her quickly. 'You should go and visit her sometime.' I threw in the last part in desperate hope. I wasn't sure if Leah had ever told Nattaya exactly where she lived, but I felt that she needed to know. Aro had said nothing to indicate that he'd harm Nattaya in any way, but I couldn't get past the feeling that she'd be safer with Leah and the rest of her pack. I didn't understand it, but I stood in hope that she'd take my hint and go to America. Trying to stop my emotions from interfering with my task, I forced myself to gesture towards Aro. My voice sounded dead as I spoke. 'Nattaya, this is my friend, Aro.'

For the first time, Nattaya's eyes shifted towards the vampire standing behind me. She held out her hand in greeting. 'It's nice to meet you, Aro,' she said.

'As it is you, my dear!' Aro exclaimed in delight, reaching for her hand. He held it for only a brief moment before turning to me. 'Alas, Demetri, it is time we were on our way. Nattaya,' he said, turning to her once more. 'It was a pleasure!'

Nattaya frowned as she stared at me, confused. I held her gaze for a few seconds before turning, without a word, and following Aro as he walked away.

Silently, Aro climbed into the taxi, instructing me to drive us to the point where we'd agreed to meet with the rest of the guard. As I drove, I watched Aro carefully through the corner of my eyes. He appeared to be deep in thought. I frowned. It wasn't like Aro to be so quiet.

Driving at the speed I was going, it took less than 10 minutes for us to reach our destination – the same point I'd bitten and killed a dying man. The rest of the guard was standing by the side of the road, waiting for us.

As I reached out to open my door, Aro put out a hand to stop me. 'Demetri,' he said, 'there's something I've been meaning to ask you: I've been over your thoughts time and time again, and yet I still don't understand. If you're so against my plans, then why come back to Italy at all? Why go to the trouble of putting us through _this_ little charade, instead of tipping the lions off about us weeks ago?'

Aro sounded genuinely curious – something I found strange coming from him. My eyebrows pulled together as I answered him in a hard, steady voice. 'This way is safer for the tribe.'

Aro cocked his head to the side and smiled evilly. 'Pray tell me, Demetri. How so?'

'You saw the way the lions reacted when they found out about me. If I'd tried to warn them at that point, things would have turned ugly. And do you think they would have believed me in any case? If I'd told them to leave Zimbabwe and go somewhere where you couldn't find them? This is their home, Aro. Nothing I could have said would have made them leave.'

Aro nodded. 'Yes,' he said in a silky voice. 'But perhaps Leah could have convinced them.'

'No!' I hissed. 'She is safer with her pack.'

'Ah, I see,' Aro said, chuckling. 'And so you think that this way is the next safest thing for the lions, then? I take it you still plan to free them sometime in the future? Once you've ironed out the many flaws in your plan, of course.'

My jaw set angrily. 'Yes,' I replied shortly.

'And you think that with your help today, things will go smoothly and nobody will get hurt. Is this correct?'

I nodded, confused with Aro's line of questioning. He already knew all of my answers, so why question them?

Aro closed his eyes for a few seconds and sighed deeply. Finally, he opened them and looked once more at me. 'What makes you so sure that no one will get hurt today, Demetri? Perhaps I will convince a few of lions to join us and then kill the rest of them. After all, that will potentially make things a lot simpler, will it not?'

I raised my eyebrows and answered confidently. 'You know as well as I do that that won't make things simpler. If you kill the rest of their tribe, it will be a hell of a lot harder to convince _any_ lions to join you – with or without Chelsea. You have no choice but to do this peacefully, or not do it at all.'

Aro's face fell. 'Yes,' he said, regretfully. 'I thought you'd say that.' He opened his door and climbed out of the cab, moving swiftly around to my side of the car before I could do the same. Opening my door slowly, Aro peered down at me. 'There is, however, something you have not yet taken into account, Demetri. What if the lions I _convince_ to join us are only children? Too young to understand that I've killed their tribe and too naïve to protest? Then, my dear tracker, killing the rest of their tribe will certainly make things simpler.'

I froze, completely numb as I answered robotically, 'No. Leah said that shape-shifters cannot bear children.'

Aro laughed – a cold, dark sound that chilled me to the bone. 'Well, if Nattaya's thoughts are anything to go by, then it seems that your lover didn't tell you everything, Demetri.'


	5. Wild At Heart

My head was pounding. I couldn't concentrate. Everything in my vision was washed scarlet by the vicious fury that swept through me in a wave of destruction. I didn't even stop to think. I had worked with Aro for long enough to understand the way he thought – almost like a mind reader myself, I knew instinctively that he wasn't joking around. His threats were as real as his desire for the shape-shifters.

If what Aro said about the existence of children was true, he would stop at nothing to murder the rest of the tribe. From his perspective, it was the only way forward. Because, this way, it really was simpler. Recruiting the lions was always going to be difficult – as hard as he tried, Aro would never be able to completely reconcile their ways with ours. But with children, it was different. Children were still in the process of learning; their opinions and values were not yet formed. Above all, they were moldable. And mould them Aro would. He would teach them and manipulate them until one day they were old enough to phase and do his bidding. After all, what was a ten or fifteen year wait to an immortal being such as Aro? As far as he was concerned, things had worked out perfectly.

I knew these things instinctively, and yet I didn't dwell on them. The sick repulsion that consumed me took over from my self control. A slave to my anger, I threw the door completely open, ripping it from its hinges and launching myself at Aro. I was going to kill him. If it was the last thing I ever did, I _would _kill him.

Aro anticipated my reaction in time to take a step backwards towards the rest of the guard. Fortunately for him, he wasn't the only one to react. Renata jumped forwards, pressing herself tightly against Aro's left arm, clutching his cloak and creating an invisible shield that threw me violently backwards as I came into contact with it.

A satisfied smile spread across Aro's lips. My top lip curled back as a furious snarl erupted from between my clenched teeth. Rapidly, my eyes flashed towards Renata, who was watching me with wide, fearful eyes. She was no fighter. And, if she was going to use her gift to protect Aro, then I would waste no time in killing her first. She tensed as she read the intent in my eyes.

I began to move threateningly from side to side, planning my attack. I ignored any thoughts of the rest of the guard until, just moments before I could make my move, Aro held out his right hand as if to hold back the vampires behind him. 'No, Jane, darling,' he drawled softly. 'Patience, my child, patience.' My head snapped up towards where Jane was standing, her face twisted with rage as she fought to contain her desire to strike me. Before I could wonder at Aro's instructions, he spoke again. 'Santiago,' he said, almost curiously, 'restrain Demetri, please.'

My eyebrows pulled together as I swung around to stare at Aro. What was he playing at? With just one word from him, Jane could effortlessly stop me in my tracks. And yet here he was wasting time by asking Santiago to fight me. It just didn't make any sense. In the brief moment I spent studying him, Aro tilted his head to the side and regarded me with as much interest as I felt watching him. It was the same interest that betrayed him. I knew that a fight with Santiago would not normally attract Aro's attention. The tall, dark, muscular vampire had been my training partner for a few years now, and Aro had watched us wrestle more times than I cared to remember. Though incredibly strong, his significant weight meant that Santiago was a little sluggish at times. He could still beat almost any opponent, but I knew Santiago's fighting style inside out and seldom lost in any of our encounters – which is why I knew that there was more to this fight than I realized.

It was a reflex reaction. Without thinking about it, I scanned the members of the Volturi that stood motionless behind Aro. In the split second that it took for me to note Afton's absence, I had already located him three meters behind me. Making sure to keep Santiago's position at the front of my mind, I spun around to meet my invisible attacker. So this was what Aro was waiting for: two against one – and one of them invisible. I could easily guess at his motives. Now that I had finally taken a stand against him, Aro wanted to watch me prove my worth – show him that my value surmounted his need to dispose of me. Well, I would show him, alright. But I wasn't doing it to protect myself.

It was a sensation I'd never really got used to – knowing exactly where Afton was standing, but being unable to see him. Shrugging away the feeling, I tensed my muscles, ready to spring. A very slight smile touched my lips as I realized that Santiago had paused, curious, I assumed, to watch me fight Chelsea's mate. Before Santiago could recover his wits and make a move, I threw myself towards where I knew Afton stood. He dodged to the right, and whilst the move would have fooled anyone else, my tracker's brain read it easily and adjusted my position mid-air, so that I slammed into him moments later. My hand found Afton's throat and wrapped itself tightly around his neck. As he struggled, Santiago came at me from behind. Shouting out, I lifted Afton into the air by his throat, swinging him around and hurling him towards my attacker. The move caught Santiago off guard and as the two of them collided, he was knocked off of his feet.

Santiago was up in seconds and rushing forwards to meet me. I waited until he was a meter away, before rolling under his reach and moving silently backwards towards Afton. I curled my fingers menacingly towards myself as I taunted my training partner. 'Come on, Sant, is that the best you can throw at me?'

Growling, Santiago spun around and made his way towards me once more, this time a little more cautiously. Afton, just a few meters to my left, was also coming at me now. His being invisible was actually a disadvantage for Santiago and realizing this, I began a complicated dance that allowed both attackers to follow me until each was standing either side of me. Knowing that Santiago was the deadlier fighter of the two, I made sure to face him. As he always did when fighting me, Santiago began to rely on his brute strength. Trying his best to be subtle about it, he drew this fist backwards and threw it towards my face. At the last second, I ducked.

The noise as Santiago's fist connected with Afton was deafening. His head jerked to the side as Afton's reaching hands grabbed his face only moments before Afton was thrown to the ground by Santiago's punch. I heard a soft gasp from Chelsea and an encouraging whoop from Felix. Ignoring them, I used Santiago's confusion to my advantage. I attacked him swiftly from behind; my teeth were at his throat before he could spin around. From there, it was easy. In a movement so quick it was almost indiscernible, I bit into him and jerked my head to the side, ripping his head from his body with a chilling metallic screech.

I didn't have time to be thorough. Dropping his body, I turned back towards Afton. He was still on the ground, his body slowly shimmering back into view, weakened by Santiago's punch. I no longer perceived him as a threat, and so I turned back to Aro. He was still my primary target, though I knew that now he'd had his entertainment, he would waste no time in utilizing Alec or Jane against me.

I was right. I'd barely looked him in the eye when Aro smiled widely and ushered Alec forwards. 'Your turn, my son,' he murmured. 'Though I think you might spare Demetri his hearing… Jane, hold Demetri still in the meantime.'

Nodding in understanding, the twins stepped forwards. Alec stared directly at me, his eyes intense and focused. Knowing what was coming, I took a threatening step towards the pair. The pain was a physical force that threw me against the hard, cold tar. I knew from experience that nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of Jane's fire as it ate away at my flesh. I gritted my teeth, trying to remember… There was something more than this pain… something…

And then there was nothing, just a cool, sweet vapor that numbed my tongue and throat as I breathed it in. Slowly, it spread through the rest of me, numbing my entire body until I could feel and see nothing.

From somewhere in the midst of the darkness, I heard Aro's cold voice. 'Finish him off, Felix. The Volturi has no use for someone who cannot triumph in a two-on-one fight.'

I knew immediately that Aro was talking about Santiago – he would never harm Afton and risk losing Chelsea's loyalty. I heard a keen, high-pitched screeching as Felix tore what was left of Santiago apart, and knew that if I still had my sight, I would see thick clouds of purple smoke billowing towards the heavens. Aro had looked for an excuse to kill me, and instead I'd given him an excuse to rid himself of another member of the guard. Not that he was complaining; Aro, of course, would see my death as an unforgivable waste.

'Afton,' Aro continued, 'bring the tracker.'

Though I felt nothing, I heard the vampires around me beginning to move. Sounds nearby told me that Afton had picked me up and was carrying me to wherever Aro led him. Grateful for the fact that Alec had spared my hearing, I listened to the sounds around me, trying my best to decipher where we were. It was an uncomfortable feeling having my senses dulled. Even my tracker's ability was blunted to the point that my gift was rendered useless. For the first time since I'd learned to make use of my ability, I felt completely and utterly vulnerable.

And I had failed.

In spite of everything, the tribe would die today. Everything I'd done had only aided Aro's cause, and nothing I did now would change that. I'd failed the lions, and I'd failed Leah. I'd sworn to her that everything I did was for her, and yet I'd harmed the very people she'd give her life to protect.

Drowning in a sea of hopelessness, it took me a while to realize that we'd stopped and that my senses were slowly returning. As my sight began to clear, I fought against the fog that clouded my mind until I pushed through and found where we were – less than a kilometer downwind of the tribe. I was lying on the ground; the rest of the guard stood around me. The feeling was still returning to my legs, and as I struggled to stand up, I listened carefully to the instructions that Aro gave the vampires.

'Once Alec's mist clears,' he was saying, 'I want you in their camp. Kill them all before their senses return. But leave the children – Chelsea, I want you to clear the two of them from the campsite before the rest of the guard finishes off their families. Bring them here to me. Jane, if Demetri tries anything stupid, you know what to do.'

As Jane looked down at me and smirked, a low hiss ran through my teeth. In a split second decision, I made up my mind. On my feet now, I took off running towards the tribe. If I could just warn them about the mist… tell them to run… Perhaps some of them would survive. I would run too, so that Aro could never find the shape-shifters again.

'Off you go, my dear!' I heard Aro say cheerfully to Jane.

Her footsteps were behind me now as she ran in pursuit. Dodging madly from side to side as I ran, I tried desperately to evade her attack. But it never came. As I arrived, moments later, in the middle of the campsite, I knew why. I was too late. All around me, men and women and lions lay motionless on the ground, anesthetized by Alec's gift. Jane hadn't stopped me before because she wanted me to see this. She wanted me to watch as all I'd worked for came crashing down around me. With a shout of fury, I spun around to strike her. But she was too quick. My shout became a cry of agony as I fell to the ground in pain.

With the full force of Jane's gaze focused directly on me, I forced myself to open my eyes and look around me. This time, it wasn't hard to remember. Though I was unable to move other than to thrash around on the ground, I knew exactly where I was and what I was doing there. In spite of the pain, my thoughts were clear. Because no matter what Jane did to me, no matter what she made me feel, my mental anguish far outweighed any trick she tried to play on my mind.

Incapacitated by the pain, I turned my head only slightly to watch as the Volturi guard – minus Aro – swept into the clearing. As one, they stopped and waited. Only Chelsea moved forwards as she went in search of the children. Disappearing into one of the tents, she emerged moments later carrying their limp bodies. As Chelsea left the campsite, they began.

The lions never stood a chance.

My body's wild thrashing threw my head around, allowing me to catch only glimpses of what was happening. The guard was nothing if not efficient. In every lion's face, I saw Leah. With every snapping bone, flashes of her dying in front of me flew in rapid fire through my head. I didn't realize I was yelling out until my head was thrown backwards and I saw Felix turn to give me a shocked, almost guilty, look. He swallowed and then turned away, grabbing the neck of tall, dark female and snapping it with a small flick of the wrist.

And still I watched.

Because I deserved to see what I'd done.

* * *

><p><strong>'Wild At Heart' by Birds of Tokyo<br>**


	6. Break Myself

**Hopefully the prologue starts to makes sense now :)**

* * *

><p>Five Months I'd waited, biding my time, playing my role perfectly, acting for all the world as if I'd given up my fight against Aro. Only he and I knew better. Nothing in my intent had changed. I <em>would<em> kill Aro, and I _would_ see the children rescued. I couldn't undo what I'd already done; but if nothing else, I would prevent it from happening again. And that was why I'd waited. Because I knew that eventually I'd get my chance.

A determined smile formed itself around my lips. For the first time in five months, I was free to think. I _had_ my chance – my chance to finally form a plan without Aro reading it in my thoughts. It was likely to be the only chance I got, and I knew that I needed to make it count. From this point onwards, it was me against him – a race against time. And if I was smart about it, it was _my_ race to lose.

I pulled down my hood and tilted my head back to stare at the stars. Somehow, they managed to make the inky blackness around me come alive. Though I steadily watched them, the picture in my head held my attention with a far greater and more binding grip than the sky ever could.

I heard Felix come up next to me, but didn't turn to look at him. He tipped his head and followed my gaze. Seeing nothing interesting in the sky, he shrugged and looked at me.

'Geez, Dem,' he chuckled moments later. 'Go and hunt already! I can hardly make you out in the dark with that mop of hair and those black eyes!'

I didn't return his smile as I turned to look at Felix. In the midst of the scarlet eyes staring back at me, I watched as Aro moved further and further away from Volterra, heading slowly towards Russia. 'Enjoy your dinner?' I muttered.

Felix grinned. 'Hell yeah, I did! Not even Heidi could have picked 'em better.'

Nothing in my expression changed as Felix spoke. Hunting was a way of life for vampires, and it didn't pay to let it disgust me the way it would have if I allowed myself the time to think about it.

'So, now we wait?' Felix asked.

I nodded. 'Now we wait.'

The pair of us became still as we prepared to wait out the night. After two days of traveling, we'd finally arrived in the southern regions of Nigeria. Felix and I were there to investigate a new coven that had arisen in recent months in North Africa. It wasn't known exactly where they were, but we were to find and catalogue them.

Over the last hour, I'd watched as Aro, too, left Italy and set off on his own errand to Russia. And therein lay the true reason why he'd sent the pair of us to Nigeria. Ever since we'd brought Zara and Simba to Italy, Aro had ensured that both he and the children had the best security available to them at every moment. He kept me near to him at all times, regularly monitoring my thoughts and keeping me as far away from the children as possible.

Most members of the Volturi were not even aware of the continued conflict between Aro and me. Of course he knew better. The threat I posed to him and the Volturi was finally too great. Ever since our return to Italy, Aro had been on the lookout for a new tracker so that he could dispose of me once and for all.

Less than a week ago, news had arrived in Volterra of a young, Russian girl with promising tracking gifts that were manifesting even now, as a human. Aro, of course, made plans to set out immediately. Since he refused to leave me unwatched in Italy, he'd sent me on this poor excuse of an errand to Nigeria. Normally, I would complete such tasks alone, but Felix had been instructed to accompany me and ensure that I was kept well away from Zara and Simba.

I took a deep breath and began to search through dozens upon dozens of thoughts, trying to decipher the best feasible plan of attack. Aro had not yet arrived in Russia. I would wait for him to get as far away from Italy as possible before I made my move. I would need to find a way to get away from Felix, before returning to Volterra for the children. Once I had them, I would take them to La Push. Because, like Leah, that was the one place where they could be safe. The combined force of the Cullens and the wolves was one that Aro feared more than he would ever admit. And, once I found a way to get Nattaya to the US, Simba and Zara would finally be with the only family they had left.

I stiffened as I thought of Nattaya and my mind automatically located her. A slight feeling of unease swept through me, though I didn't understand why. It was the first time I'd searched for Nattaya since I'd taken Aro to meet her. Pushing away memories of that day, I frowned. She was with Leah at the Clearwater's home. I hadn't even been aware of the fact that she'd left Africa. My body tense, I kept part of my mind focused on Nattaya and Leah as the rest of my thoughts continued to churn through ways I could get to Simba and Zara.

Hours went by as Felix and I stood in silence. I watched as Leah left Nattaya and ran quickly to the Cullens' house. Confused, I watched as she made her way back home and then, sometime later, met up with Edward again. Leah had made her feelings about the Cullens very clear right from the beginning and it drove me insane trying to understand her actions. Finally, as the sun rose over Nigeria, I froze. I bit back the panic as I searched desperately for Leah's location. She was gone. I couldn't find her. I mentally checked off the rest of her pack as I realized that they too were missing from my radar. Though I didn't miss the fact that it was most likely due to Bella's shielding that I couldn't locate them, a sense of dread rose up inside of me. What if it was something worse than that? What threat would drive Bella to shield the wolves?

My jaw tightened. Not long afterwards, Nattaya left La Push, heading steadily towards Seattle. In agitation, I ran my hands through my hair. It frustrated me that I couldn't tell whether or not Leah was with her.

Felix shifted to look at me. 'What's up, man?'

I didn't reply. I was concentrating too hard on Nattaya's movements. When it eventually became clear where she was headed, I cursed. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I hurriedly dialed the number and held it up to my ear.

'Seattle Airport, Amanda speaking' a bored voice answered ninety seconds later.

Trying my luck, I gave Nattaya's name, hoping the woman wouldn't pick up on the fact that it was a female name. 'I'm running a little late,' I told her. 'I was wondering if perhaps you could inform the airline that I might be ten minutes late to check-in?'

I turned to see Felix still staring at me. 'What the hell are you playing at?' he hissed.

I pressed my finger to my lips to hush him as the woman sighed. 'What flight?' she asked.

'I – uh – well my flight details are actually in the boot of my car,' I said, trying to sound a little flustered.

I heard her typing in the background as she asked for my name again. Slowly I repeated it for her. A few seconds later, she responded. 'Flight A965?' she asked. 'To Italy?'

I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together as her words sunk in. 'Yes,' I said. My mind didn't want to believe it. But I had to check. 'My friend's in the car with me,' I eventually said. 'Leah… she's going to be late too.'

The woman clicked her tongue and I heard her typing once more. 'Leah Clearwater?' she confirmed.

I didn't even reply. My head spinning, I ended the call and dialed another number, ignoring Felix's stares. It took a full minute before somebody picked up. 'Forks Community Hospital, how may I help you?'

I gritted my teeth, trying to be patient with the polite voice. 'I need to speak to Dr. Carlisle Cullen,' I said, speaking far too quickly.

'May I ask who's speaking?'

'Edward Cullen,' I said, hoping the woman would recognize the name. 'It's rather urgent if you wouldn't mind reaching my father for me.'

The woman's voice became relaxed as she replied, 'Edward! You should have said so! One moment, please, honey. I won't be a second.'

Five minutes later, a deeper voice came on the other end of the line. 'Edward?' Carlisle asked, not sounding convinced.

'Carlisle, this is Demetri.'

There was a slight pause before Carlisle responded. 'Demetri,' he said carefully. 'What can I do for you?'

I swallowed. 'Bella's shielding Jacob's pack.' When he didn't reply, I continued, 'I need to know why.'

I could almost hear Carlisle thinking his words through as he replied. 'Look, Demetri. I know that you're somewhat invested in Leah. But you can't expect me –'

'She's about to board a plane to Italy!' I snapped at him angrily, surprised at how quickly he'd made the connection to Leah. 'I need to know what the hell she thinks she's doing!'

I couldn't tell whether or not Carlisle was surprised by my revelation. As always, he kept his composure. 'I'm sorry, Demetri, but I can't just –'

'Give me Jacob Black's phone number,' I hissed.

'I'm sorry?'

'If Leah's in danger, then I'm not going to sit here and do nothing,' I said threateningly. 'I need to speak to Black!'

It took a few seconds for Carlisle to reply. Eventually, though, he recited Jacob's number to me. Somewhat surprised, I ended the call without another word to Carlisle and keyed in the third number.

When he picked up the phone, I didn't wait for Jacob to speak. 'Jacob, this is Demetri,' I said before pausing. 'I'm from the Volturi.'

'I know where you're from!' Jacob's voice greeted me viciously. 'If this is about Leah, then you can forget it, leech! You've messed her around enough al–'

'Of course this is about Leah!' I bit back. 'She's going to get herself killed!'

'What the hell are you talking about?'

I threw my head back in frustration. Jacob didn't know. 'Leah,' I prompted. 'She's leaving for a death mission in Italy.'

'What?'

I gritted my teeth. 'Ask your friend, Bella.'

Though her ability kept me from locating her, I heard Bella's voice in the background. She sounded hesitant. 'The Volturi kidnapped the children from Africa, Jake… Leah's gone after them.'

Jacob swore loudly. 'What?'

'Jake… I've – I've given her every possible protection… I'm shielding –'

'She'll be killed, Bella! Do you honestly think that shielding her is going to –'

Bella's voice rose angrily in response to Jacob. 'You never would have let her go if she'd come to you for help Jacob! You were keeping Leah a prisoner in La Push! At least I was willing to give her a chance… They're only children, Jake.'

'This is not you and Renesmee, Bella!' Jacob yelled. I could hear him beginning to lose control.

Edward's voice broke in this time. Unlike Jacob and Bella, it was quiet and controlled. 'Bella's right, Jacob. If we'd come to you about it first, you would have said no.'

'Of course I would have said no!'

'But you can't take away Leah's will, Jacob. If she feels this strongly about rescuing the children, then it's something your whole pack should feel strongly about!'

There was a short pause before Jacob spoke again. His voice was quieter this time, but it was in no way calm. 'I hate what the Volturi's done too, Edward. But I wouldn't be willing to sacrifice Leah's life to stop them!'

'She shouldn't have to sacrifice her life for them, Jacob!' Bella yelled. 'It should be something your pack was willing to do for her and _with_ her! If she had come to you for help, you would have turned her away!'

'Except that now she _is_ doing it alone, Bella! And it's going to get her killed!'

'She's not doing it alone, Jacob,' Edward said quietly. 'What are you going to do now that you know where she is?'

Jacob's voice was shaking. 'What the hell do you think I'm going to do, bloodsucker? I'm going after her!'

'Exactly,' Edward pointed out. 'We're all going after her. If this was the only way to make you consider going to Italy, then it's what Bella and I had to do.'

'She'll be dead before we arrive.'

For the first time, Bella's voice dropped back down to its normal volume. 'There's another flight three hours after Leah's. She won't try anything for the first few hours in any case. We told her to wait until the following morning.'

I'd heard enough. Leah was not some pawn they could mess with as they pleased. 'Get on that flight,' I hissed in a low voice into the phone. 'Make sure Bella's with you. She's right – Leah needs the protection. Bring the rest of your pack. If we manage to get the children, then we'll need as many of us as possible to fight them off.'

I heard Jacob press the phone to his ear once more. 'What do you mean 'we'?'

'I'm not letting her die, Black!'

There was a long pause. For the first time, Jacob's voice took on a tinge of desperation. 'Then find her, Demetri. Convince her not to do anything stupid… You're the only one she'll listen to.'

'I'm catching the next plane to Italy,' I told him. 'If you need me –'

'You're not in Italy?'

I ignored his question. 'If you need me,' I repeated, 'give me a call.' I quickly recited my phone number before ending the call without waiting for a reply. I was running before the phone was even in my pocket.

Felix tore after me, lunging to grab my arm and then spinning me around to face him. 'Where are you going?' he growled.

'Don't stand in my way, Felix,' I threatened in a low voice. 'I'll kill you before I see Leah die.'

A strange look came over Felix's face as his eyebrows pulled together. 'She's going to Italy?'

I gritted my teeth and gave him a short nod. 'Nattaya must have found out about the tribe. She and Leah are on their way now.' I stared at Felix, trying to see him through the eyes of a hunter. I had no choice but to kill him now. If I didn't, Felix would call Aro, who'd turn around and reach Volterra long before I ever could. I swallowed and set my jaw, flames of determination lighting my eyes. Felix was my best friend, but I'd be damned if I ever gave him the chance to stop me. Slowly, I began to circle him, my intentions clear. I knew that this wouldn't be easy. Felix was easily as good a fighter as I was. I couldn't afford to lose focus.

'Woah, dude!' Felix exclaimed, lifting his arms in surrender. 'I'm not going to try and stop you.'

I didn't pause. If this was some trick he was using to distract me, then I wasn't buying it. 'This isn't a joke, Felix,' I said under my breath.

Felix chuckled nervously. 'Yeah, I sort of gathered that much… Seriously, Dem, you have to do what you have to do. I get it.'

I frowned. 'You're serious?'

'This mission in Nigeria is lame, anyway,' Felix shrugged. 'Saving your girlfriend is bound to be more interesting.'

'Give me your phone,' I murmured. I wasn't taking any chances.

Felix grinned as he lobbed me his mobile phone. 'Does this mean you won't kill me?'

I rolled my eyes as I slipped his phone into my pocket. 'Stay with me the whole time,' I instructed him. 'One foolish move, Felix, and you're a dead man.'

**(* * *)**

The first flight back to Italy was a whole day later. And all the while, my tracking ability slowly tortured me as I watched Nattaya make her way closer and closer to the Volturi, moving slowly with the girl I loved towards her death. Eventually, as our plane came in to land, Nattaya stopped moving. She was only four miles from the castle in which the rest of my coven waited. It took Felix and me thirteen minutes and fifty-seven seconds to reach her from the airport.

Nattaya took a step backwards as the pair of us skidded to a halt in front of her. Her eyes were filled with fear and hate as she stared at me. 'Kill me now,' she spat. 'It's what you do, isn't it?'

I looked around wildly. 'Where is Leah?' I asked Nattaya forcefully. When she didn't reply, I took a deep breath to calm myself. I wanted to shake the answer from her. 'Where _is_ she?' I forced the words to come out quietly from between my clenched teeth.

Nattaya held her head high. 'Eve was right about your kind,' she hissed. 'I will _never_ tell you where Leah is!'

'Don't you get it?' I shouted. 'Her life is in danger! Leah could die because of your stubbornness, Nattaya!'

Nattaya glared at me, but didn't reply.

'Please, Nattaya,' Felix said gently. I didn't realize until then that he was holding me back. 'We need to find out where Leah is. If she's gone to the castle, then we need to know... Demetri and I are the only ones who can give her any chance of survival now.'

Suddenly Nattaya looked torn. I didn't know what Felix had said to remove the hate from her eyes, but I wasn't going to question it. 'Please, Nattaya,' I echoed.

'She – she smelt one of you near the city square,' Nattaya eventually stuttered. 'It was mixed with the scent of humans. Leah told me to wait here… she said the pale face was your hunter…'

Neither Felix nor I waited to hear the rest. I didn't want to think about it, but if Leah was with Heidi, then it might already be too late. Together we ran towards the castle, slipping in through the lobby and making our way to the central reception area. The blonde woman, Leah, was sitting behind the desk.

'Felix, Demetri,' she greeted us, sounding pleasantly surprised. 'You've returned.'

I was already rushing towards the feeding room, but Felix placed a restraining hand on my shoulder. 'Now is not the time to give ourselves away,' he whispered so that only I could hear. More loudly, he responded to the blonde. 'Easiest mission ever,' he said, giving her a large grin. 'Over and done in a day.'

I knew what Felix was trying to do, but there wasn't any time to keep up pretenses. Angrily, I shrugged off his hand.

Just then, Heidi entered the room from the right. 'That was quick,' she exclaimed, seeing the pair of us standing there. Her long, mahogany hair was worn in a soft ponytail and she wore a tight fitting black jumpsuit.

'Tell me about it,' Felix laughed. 'Been fishing recently? Demetri and I are starved!'

Heidi raised one eyebrow and turned to look at me. 'Given up your animal diet then, Demetri?'

I shrugged, barely listening to her.

She cocked her head to the side. 'Hmph, you know we had a bet going? Jane said you'd last only a month… Funny, at the rate you were going, I thought you'd hold out a lot longer… Oh well,' she shrugged. 'I brought in a fresh batch just five minutes ago. Enjoy boys!' With a wink, she walked past us into the open elevator.

Without waiting to see what Felix was doing, I sprinted towards the feeding room. Seconds later, I threw open the door. Like a magnet, my eyes were drawn immediately to Leah. In the midst of a horror story, she stood with her back to me, staring at the scene in front of her where Chelsea was already feeding from a young, fair-skinned male. I didn't even need to instruct my body. Throwing myself at her, I flew through the air, knocking Leah to the ground in under a second. Trying my best to be gentle, I pinned her to the ground and pressed my teeth against her throat, hating myself for having to view her as my prey.

Just then, as the humans realized what was happening around them, the screaming started. I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing with everything inside of me that Leah didn't have to experience this. Still, I held her there. Because this was our only chance. If the vampires around me believed that I was feeding off of Leah, then the two of us might just have a fighting chance at survival. I knew from experience that our kind quickly lost control when feeding, and I just hoped that it would be enough to prevent anybody from studying us too closely.

As the screams were cut off one by one, I opened my eyes. In horror, I watched as Chelsea lifted her head to stare at me. Her eyes widened. I knew that she was using her gift to feel the bonds between Leah and me. It was over. I'd lost. Chelsea had put two and two together. Things were finished. I felt Leah trying to push me off of her, but I didn't budge. Silently, I stared back at Chelsea, begging her… pleading with her.

Suddenly, Chelsea leapt up from her unfinished meal and threw herself towards the human on my right hand side. With one last shrill scream, the room went silent. I turned my head only slightly to see that Chelsea had cut Jane off to kill the last human. And I instinctively knew what she'd chosen. By feeding from _that_ human, Chelsea had prevented any of the Volturi from getting too close to me and coming to the same conclusion that she had already. With a dirty stare, Jane spun around and left the room. I couldn't imagine what had possessed Chelsea to help me, but I didn't question it.

One by one, members of the Volturi began to leave the room as they finished feeding. No one paid me any attention. Slowly, my muscles began to relax. I lifted my lips from Leah and felt her become suddenly tense. I could feel the scream building up inside of her. If she screamed now, she would give us away. Quickly, I moved my lips upwards. She had to know she was safe, that I was here. That I wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

I inhaled softly and breathed the words quietly into her ear. 'Don't move an inch.'

* * *

><p><strong>'Break Myself' by Something Corporate<strong>


	7. The War I

As I spoke, Leah's whole body became still under my touch. She was tense, though, and I could feel her muscles coiled defensively beneath me. Though we were far from being in the clear, I breathed out a soft sigh of relief. Her compliance had never been a certainty - not when everything inside of her must have hated me for what I'd been a part of. If nothing else, I was grateful that she'd had at least enough faith in me for this.

Motionless, I held Leah against the ground until the room was cleared of everyone but the two of us and Chelsea. As the door closed behind the last hunter, I pushed myself back to my feet. Leah leapt up less than a second later. For the first time since Africa, I allowed my eyes to run gently across her face. Her eyes were the same – fiercely strong and yet somehow vulnerable. Like the first night I'd met Leah, her expression was hardened with bitterness. She hid it well, but I could still make out a certain tone of defenselessness behind the angry lines that ran across her features. I clenched my jaw as I realized that the same brokenness I'd seen slowly disappear during our time in Africa had now returned to Leah's expression.

Leah wasn't looking at me; she was staring ferociously at Chelsea, her trembling hands hanging in fists at her side. Instinctively, I followed her gaze. Chelsea didn't return her stare; she was studying me through narrowed eyelids, no hint of any emotion on her face.

I caught her eye. 'Thank you, Chelsea,' I said meaningfully, 'for... before.'

She didn't acknowledge my gratitude other than to give me a short nod. 'Get her out of here, Demetri,' she said in a low voice, her words almost a snarl.

I nodded. Getting Leah out of the castle was my first priority.

'I'm not going anywhere without Simba and Zara.'

I spun around to face Leah, ignoring the feeling that rose up inside of me as she spoke for the first time. 'Leah,' I pleaded. 'Don't be -'

'You can kill me if you like,' she hissed, finally turning to look my way, 'but I'm not leaving without them.' An angry flame burned defiantly behind her eyes.

I stiffened. Did Leah truly believe that I was capable of killing her? That there was something inside of me that would – or even _could _– consider it? I stared at her. Fine,' I eventually agreed, nodding. 'We'll get the children first.'

I wasn't happy about it. Even as I spoke the words, a violent wave of fear swept through me. But my mind was made up. Though it was within my power to force Leah from the castle without saving the children first, it was not something I would do. I refused to try and control Leah. She was not a pawn in the Cullens' games, and I sure as hell wouldn't attempt to make her one in mine. Though Leah's safety meant everything to me, I refused to take away her choice. Fresh determination surged through me. I would not give Leah another reason to hate me, but I _would_ do everything in my power to keep both her and the children safe.

The words were barely out of my mouth when Chelsea took a step towards the door, blocking our exit. 'You're not taking the children, Demetri.'

'Chelsea –'

'No,' she growled. 'I helped you out in there because you love her.' For a brief moment, Chelsea's eyes flickered towards Leah. She turned back to me. 'Killing her made no sense – not when her survival posed such a minimal threat to the Volturi. But this? Taking Simba and Zara?' Chelsea shook her head. 'I won't let you do it.'

Leah took a threatening step towards Chelsea, but I quickly stepped in front of her, cutting her off. My eyes narrowed as I continued to stare at Chelsea. 'I don't want to have to hurt you,' I warned in a low voice.

She parted her lips to reply, but the words never came. Before she could speak, the door behind her was thrown open, and Felix bounded in. In a quick, subtle flash of motion, he bent down to her height and ripped Chelsea's head from the rest of her body. It happened so quickly, I barely had time to register what he'd done. Felix looked up at Leah with a small grin on his face. Waving his hand dismissively, he rolled his eyes. 'It's alright – she'll forgive me.'

I looked briefly back at Leah to see her staring at Felix with a mixture of suspicion and shock. I swung back around to face Felix as he continued. 'I would have offered to babysit Chelsea while you and your wolf kidnapped the kids,' he said, shrugging. 'But I can't promise that she wouldn't have used her magic tricks to change my mind.'

I glanced at Chelsea's decapitated body and nodded grimly. We weren't going to burn her – she would be fine once somebody arrived to put her back together. Still, I had been grateful for Chelsea's help and didn't like having to go to such lengths to keep her quiet.

'You're really in this, then?' I asked Felix, looking back up.

He rolled his eyes. 'I've had plenty of chances to turn you in already, Dem. If I shared Chelsea's views, she wouldn't be lying in pieces on the floor.'

I grinned back at him. It did nothing to ease my tension, but it went some way towards symbolizing our comradeship. I was a lot more comfortable fighting side by side with Felix than I would have been otherwise. He and I had done so countless times already – we knew the way one another fought inside out. If I could have chosen any one person to complete such a task with, it would have been Felix. 'Let's get this show on the road then,' I told him.

Felix's grin mirrored my own. 'I spoke to Heidi a minute ago,' he said. 'She was supposed to be on guard duty this afternoon, but I've swapped with her.'

I lifted my eyebrows. '_You're _on guard duty?'

'Damn straight I am! See you up there in a little bit?'

I nodded. 'See you then.' This was why I was comfortable fighting with Felix. There was no time wasted discussing strategies and plans. He knew what it was that I wanted and how I wanted to get it.

With a wink in Leah's direction, Felix gave me an encouraging slap on the back and then left the room. I ignored the hiss Leah threw at his retreating figure and without looking at her, began to move Chelsea's torn body to a spot behind an old, maroon curtain where it lay inconspicuous and hidden. I didn't really know why I was avoiding Leah's gaze, but eventually, when I had nothing left to do, I looked up at her. 'Ready?' I asked quietly.

Leah nodded. Her face was unreadable. Taking a deep breath, I led her out of the dark room and turned right.

'Why are we going this way?'

I turned around to see Leah staring at me with raised eyebrows, her challenge echoing all across her features.

'I'm sorry?' I asked frowning.

'Felix went the other way,' Leah continued, inclining her head slightly to the left. Her voice was hard and suspicious. 'He said he's going to guard the children. So why are we going _this _way?'

I took a step towards Leah, reaching for her hand without thinking about it. 'Trust me, Leah,' I murmured.

I wanted to take my words back as soon as I'd said them. Leah's response was everything I'd known it would be, and yet everything I'd hoped it wouldn't. She took a step backwards, jerking her hand out of my reach. 'Why the hell should I trust you?' she hissed under her breath. Her voice was filled with venom and the fire was back behind her eyes.

I stared at Leah for a few moments, hating that her mistrust was so warranted and yet so misplaced. I had brought this on myself, I reminded myself harshly. Leah deserved so much more than me. Hardening my voice to hide the hurt, I growled back at her, 'Because right now it's the only choice that you've got.'

Leah glared back at me, but didn't reply. I held her gaze for only a moment longer before spinning around and continuing down the dark passageway I'd chosen earlier. I relaxed somewhat as I heard her reluctant footsteps only half a second behind my own. I moved cautiously, leading her in silence through a complex maze of corridors and using my tracking gift to sense which areas of the castle were unoccupied, always making sure to choose pathways where no one would accidentally stumble across Leah's scent.

Though we moved as quickly as I dared, it seemed to take an eternity for us to reach my target. I was aware of every sound we made as our feet hit the stone floor. When the small, moist-smelling room finally appeared on our right, I gestured for Leah to enter ahead of me. As she stepped inside, I took one last look up the corridor where a light shone faintly from the overhead water drain. Our escape route. Pulling my eyes away, I followed Leah into the room, shutting the door behind me and turning to face her.

I was surprised by Leah's proximity when I turned around. Though I knew beforehand that the room was little bigger than a closet, I hadn't been prepared to look down and see Leah's face just a few centimeters from my own. She tried to take an instinctive step backwards but the room was just too small. I inhaled slowly, breathing in her warm, familiar scent. For an immeasurable moment, everything other than Leah was wiped from my mind; it was just me and her, locked in a moment of reprieve, hidden someplace the rest of the world couldn't touch us.

We stood staring at each other for a long time before Leah finally broke the silence. A single tear fell from her eyes. 'Why, Demetri?' she whispered, her voice breaking slightly as she said my name. 'Why are you helping me?'

I held her gaze. 'You know why.' She _had_ to know why. She had to know that I loved her.

Leah wiped her tear away angrily with the back of her hand and shook her head. 'I don't know anything anymore.'

I wanted to take her in my arms and promise her that everything was going to be okay. I wanted to protect her. But how could I protect Leah when the one she needed protecting from was me? Instead I held my arms stiffly at my side and forced my voice to become detached. 'You can know that I'm going to get you and the children out of here alive… But, Leah, I need you to wait here for me.' She opened her mouth to protest, but I continued before she could interrupt. My words were firm and uncompromising. 'I can move around the castle without rousing suspicions. You, on the other hand, can't. Let me get Simba and Zara. I'll bring them back here and we'll leave together.'

Leah's compliance surprised me a little, though I knew she was smart enough to know I was right. 'Okay,' she murmured, nodding.

'Okay,' I echoed.

'Demetri?'

I stared at her. 'Yes?'

Leah hesitated. 'Is – is it going to be safe… for you?'

I frowned. My safety was the last thing on my mind. 'I'll get them, Leah, I promise. With Felix's help, it should be fine.'

'Do you really trust him? Felix?'

I could feel Leah's warm breath caress my skin. Trying hard to focus on her question, I replayed my earlier conversation with Felix in my head. Eventually I answered. 'If Felix was on the same page as Aro, he never would have helped me rescue you… and if he was on the same page as Chelsea, he wouldn't have turned on her. That he's willing to help us is the only explanation that makes sense. Besides,' I shrugged, 'sometimes you have no other option but to trust the people you think you shouldn't… It's what you're doing now, isn't it?'

For the first time, Leah broke eye contact. She looked down at her feet and didn't reply.

'Leah,' I continued. 'If something _does_ happen and Felix or I don't return here with the children, then you need to get out. There's a water drain in the ceiling of the corridor to your right. It exits onto the above street. Don't go after the children yourself. You'll never make it out alive.'

Leah looked back up at me and shook her head. 'I'm not leaving the children, Demetri.'

'Your pack and the Cullens are on their way,' I told her. 'If I don't come back, then get out of here and wait for your pack. With Chelsea incapacitated and Aro on his way to Russia, you are strong enough to take down the Volturi and rescue Zara and Simba. Just don't try and do it alone, Leah. Wait for your brothers.' I hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but I had to make sure that Leah knew what to do if I wasn't there to do it myself. If I didn't succeed, I needed her to be safe.

As good as Leah was at keeping her emotions to herself, I could tell she was a little taken by surprise at the news of her pack and the Cullens.

'Promise me you won't do anything foolish, Leah,' I persisted.

Her voice was shaky but determined. 'I won't if you won't.'

I smiled humorlessly. 'Deal.' With one last look at Leah, I turned around and slipped back into the dark corridor, closing the door softly behind me.

In spite of what I'd told Leah about not arousing suspicions, I watched the rest of the Volturi carefully in my mind, making sure not to take any pathway that would lead me across somebody else's path. It frustrated me that I couldn't see Leah due to Bella's shielding, but I knew that if any member of the Volturi ventured anywhere near to Leah, I would abandon my task and return to where I'd left her.

Finally, I began to move up a long, narrow staircase at the top of which the children were kept. I focused in on their exact location. Felix was there on guard duty, along with Renata and two of the Volturi's newest members, Axle and Bane – a pair of Canadian brothers Aro had recruited two years ago for their fighting abilities. Alone, the brothers were neither fast nor strong – in fact they weren't particularly threatening at all. Together, though, their unusual abilities allowed them to amplify one another's fighting capabilities, making them two of the Volturi's most deadly offensive weapons. I set my jaw grimly. Felix and I had the element of surprise in our favor, but even with it, beating Axle and Bane wouldn't be easy.

I reached the top of the staircase and paused briefly at the top, listening carefully. To my immediate left was a thick, wooden door pulled tightly shut. From inside, the only sounds were Felix's deep chuckle and a high-pitched giggle I assumed was Zara's. Carefully, I turned the brass doorknob. It was unlocked. With a deep breath, I swung open the door and stepped inside.

Felix, who'd been sprawled out on the ground next to Simba and Zara, leapt to his feet immediately. Renata gasped and took a step towards the children, enveloping them in her protection. Axle and Bane simultaneously took a step towards me, their severe faces mirror images of one another.

'Well, well, well,' taunted Bane as he cracked his knuckles threateningly. 'Aro said that the day might come when you tried something stupid. I must admit though, I never thought you'd be dumb enough to pick the day Axle and I were on duty.'

'Aro will return from Russia with a new tracker soon enough,' I said calmly. 'I might as well have some fun while I still can, right? I'm glad both of you boys are here… It wouldn't have been a fair fight otherwise.'

Axle lifted his top lip, exposing his teeth in a vicious snarl. 'You'll be dead, Demetri. Long before you have the chance to have _fun_.'

'No,' Felix growled, stepping up next to the brothers. 'This is my fight.'

'There's plenty of him to go around,' Axle retorted, still glaring at me.

I raised my eyebrows. 'Shut up Axle,' his brother warned. There was a definite hierarchy within the Volturi, and he knew as well as anyone that it was never a smart move to argue with Felix's orders – not when his position in the guard was so much higher than that of the Canadian pair. In fact, it was Felix who had been assigned the job of teaching the two brothers to fight. They were his understudies – it was Felix who'd honed their skills and made them the fighters they were today. If Felix said this was his fight, then they had no option but to stand back and watch – at least until he made it clear who he was really fighting against.

Axle shut his mouth, but began to curl and uncurl his fists in anticipation. Felix stared coldly at me. 'Do you know why Demetri decided to come for the children today, when the two of you were on duty?' He didn't wait for an answer but continued to speak in a harsh, mocking voice. 'It's because it's now or never for him. Right now, his girlfriend is hidden in the castle, waiting for him to return to her with the lion-kids.'

A hostile murmur ran through the room at this announcement. I couldn't tell where it came from. I was too busy staring at Felix. 'You bastard,' I hissed.

Felix chuckled darkly. 'You know what the really funny part is? Demetri actually believed that I was on his side –that I was waiting up here, ready to turn on the three of you at a moment's notice.'

Renata looked nervous, but Axle and Bane echoed Felix's laugh eagerly.

'I should have killed you when I had the chance,' I spat at Felix.

He threw me a sinister smile. 'Like you would have stood a chance against me! You're out of your depth, Demetri, and I'm only too happy to do Aro's dirty work for him now that he's finally found your replacement. The Volturi gave you everything, Demetri! _Everything_! And yet you threw it in our faces!' He shook his head in mock disbelief. 'And all for the sake of a canine companion… Here,' he said, pausing to hand something to Bane. 'Hold onto this while I teach our old tracker a thing or two.'

Only then did I notice the small, grey teddy bear in Felix's hand. It belonged to Zara. He must have been playing with it earlier when I heard her giggle. Unquestioningly, Bane reached out to take it from him. Felix was so quick, Bane never even saw him coming. With his free hand, Felix grabbed Bane's outstretched arm and pulled him savagely towards himself. A keen screeching reverberated around the room as Felix tore the young vampire apart. I didn't waste time processing what had just happened. Instinctively, I turned to Axle, who looked uncertain of himself now that Bane was no longer around to enhance his fighting skills. He knew as well as I did that he didn't stand a chance. I lunged towards him, finishing him off just moments after Felix was done.

Felix's lips lifted into an enormous grin as he looked over at me. 'You should have seen your face, Dem! Here I was trying to fool Bane and Axle into believing I was on their side, and I get you with the same story! Dude, that was too funny!'

I rolled my eyes. 'Of course you had to tell them all about Leah hiding in the castle to get them to believe you,' I muttered sarcastically, though my own grin was beginning to lift the corners of my mouth. 'Yeah, I can see how that was necessary.'

Felix's grin widened. 'You know me,' he said, shrugging.

'Ever the drama queen,' I finished for him, shaking my head with a mixture of relief and amusement.

Felix chuckled before spinning around to face Renata, who was cowering against the back wall, her face filled with fear. 'I almost feel sorry for her, Dem,' he said, suddenly frowning.

I grimaced. 'We're not killing her,' I reminded Felix. 'We're just temporarily disarming her.'

The pair of us began to circle Renata, trying to find a way through her shield. Though Aro employed her use in almost every single confrontation he was a part of, most of us in the Volturi guard knew that Renata's gift was not infallible. Her shield was limited by its size; she could never completely cover both herself and Aro at the same time. Since she spent all of her energy shielding Aro, this meant that part of her was always left exposed. If an attacker searched thoroughly enough, eventually he would find a way to bypass her shield.

It was time consuming work – and it was time we didn't have. Each attempt Felix or I made to move near to her and the children resulted in Renata's shield throwing us backwards or causing us to inadvertently change direction. Though we tried and failed each time, Renata's expression seemed to grow more and more worried as time went by.

Eventually, Felix shouted out in frustration. 'This is useless!' he exclaimed. 'The children are smaller than Aro. Renata's able to cover both of them as well as herself. There's no way through, Demetri.'

I clenched my teeth in determination. Though I suspected as much, I knew that I wouldn't give up – I couldn't. I lunged futilely towards Renata once more. The sound of my body being thrown against the ground by Renata's shield was not enough to drown out the growl from the doorway.

I leapt up and spun around. There, standing with her teeth bared in a vicious growl, was a large, grey wolf. Leah didn't look at Felix or I. She went straight for the attack. Throwing herself towards Renata, she easily evaded the shield, smashing into Renata with a crash that echoed across the room.

'Wha-? How? Felix's mouth was hanging open in surprise.

'Bella's shielding Leah,' I told him, keeping my eyes on Leah. 'It means she's immune to Renata's gift.'

Felix gave a quiet whoop as Leah dug her teeth into Renata's throat. Aro's little body guard had never learned to fight. She had never needed to before. With a screeching reminiscent of Axle and Bane's defeat, Leah ripped Renata into cold, stone pieces. Only then did she turn to look at me.

'Thanks,' I murmured, choosing not to think about the fact that she'd left her hiding spot to come after Zara and Simba.

Leah dipped her head in a short nod and then turned to look at the children. For the first time since I'd walked into the room, I looked at them too. Both had wide, curious eyes, though they were keeping very still and quiet. Wasting no more time, I swung both Zara and Simba into my arms. Looking meaningfully at Leah and Felix, I spoke. My words were both triumphant and cautious. 'Let's go.'


	8. The War II

I led Leah and Felix from the room, hoping to return the way I'd come. After the noise we'd made rescuing the children, I began to wonder how the staircase was still empty of anyone but us. Scanning the castle for movement of the remaining members of the Volturi, I realized that it wouldn't be empty for long. Heidi was fast heading our way. She was already passing the corridor I had been planning to turn down. I made a quick, crucial decision. At the bottom of the staircase, I turned left and slipped into a seldom-used passageway. I knew that a hundred meters away, it led to a dead end. If anyone found us there, we would be trapped. It was exactly why I'd chosen it – because it was the last place anyone would expect us to hide.

Leah and Felix followed me inside. Felix threw me a quizzical glance, but I pressed my finger to my lips and motioned for the two of them to keep moving further inside towards the dark shadows. Leaving the door slightly ajar the way we'd found it, I began to back further into the passageway, keeping my eyes on the lit corridor outside.

Simba shifted in my arms. A worried frown creased his forehead. 'Dark!' he exclaimed, using one of the English words he'd learned in recent months.

I nodded, murmuring, 'I know.'

Felix walked up next to me and pressed his finger against Simba's lips. 'Shhh,' he whispered solemnly. 'We need to keep quiet.'

Simba's eyes widened in understanding and he began to nod his head vigorously, looking every bit as serious as Felix. I allowed myself a slight smile and returned my gaze to the doorway.

Heidi passed us only moments later. She didn't even glance our way. I waited until she was almost at the top of the staircase before stepping back outside the dark passageway and gesturing for Leah and Felix to follow. This time, I didn't take care to be quiet; speed was infinitely more important than stealth now.

Seconds later, Heidi shouted out behind us and began running in our pursuit. We had a decent head start though and I made some quick, last minute decisions to aid our escape. Leah was still in her wolf form and I wasn't keen on her phasing back in the midst of the Volturi. The downside was that Leah wouldn't be able to leave through the water drain whilst in her wolf form. We needed to leave through the lobby, and to do so we would have to take the lift down from the reception. There was a much greater chance of running into more vampires there, but for now it was empty of all but the human girl, Leah. If we hurried, we could make it.

Though I still chose unoccupied corridors, I didn't overcomplicate our route. We reached the reception area in a matter of minutes. Felix, whose arms were free, was the first to reach the lift. He smashed his fist against the down arrow desperately. Anxiously, we waited for the lift to arrive and the doors to slide open. Heidi had already caught up with us. She was still yelling, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of the guard began to arrive.

Felix, Leah and I rushed into the lift. For a second, I thought we'd made it, but Heidi leapt towards us at the last possible moment, jamming her right arm between the closing doors. The doors slid open once more and an evil smile crept across Heidi's face. Before she had the chance to make her move, I held the children away from my body and lifted my knee, throwing it upwards into her chin. Heidi briefly lost her balance and I used the same leg to boot her in the stomach. She flew across the room, smashing into the opposite wall. Hissing, she leapt to her feet again and ran towards us once more. This time, Heidi wasn't quick enough. The last thing I saw as the doors slid to a close was Heidi's furious face set against a background of Volturi members rushing into the room.

The lift was frustratingly slow. Eventually, as it jolted to a stop two floors down, the doors began to slide open. Agitated, Felix pushed his hand between the doors and forced them open more quickly. 'Go!' he yelled as we rushed from the lift and made our way out of the building. 'I'll hold up any pursuers.'

I nodded. Leah was already running. I tore off after her, heading towards where I knew Nattaya waited.

'Stay in your wolf form,' I cautioned Leah as we turned the corner into a fairly crowded street. I ignored the stares and screams that were thrown our way. Now wasn't the time to worry about the humans.

We continued to twist and turn through the streets of Volterra until we reached a vacant alleyway. Nattaya was waiting at the end, standing next to a small, white hire-car. I hadn't noticed the car when Felix and I had cornered Nattaya earlier; my mind had been too occupied. Blatant relief flooded Nattaya's face as we ran towards her.

Simba held his arms out towards Nattaya as we moved closer. His soft voice was stringing together a sentence of unintelligible words. Zara simply cried out enthusiastically. Nattaya held out her arms in response and I passed both children into her waiting grasp. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. 'Thank you,' she whispered.

I nodded and opened the car door. 'Get in,' I instructed.

Behind me, I heard Leah phase. When I turned around a few seconds later, she was dressed back in her human clothes. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped when my eyes fell across a familiar wooden pendent hanging from her neck. It was flipped over, exposing the three words I'd carved into it so many months before: _Everything for you._ Did Leah believe that? That everything I did was for her? A small flame of hope flickered inside of me, but I smothered it quickly with the words she'd spat at me earlier. _Why the hell should I trust you?_ Why indeed? As far as Leah knew, I'd lied to her and led the force that so brutally murdered the tribe she'd sacrificed so much to save. And what did it matter that I'd wanted to save them too? It was still my actions that had led to their deaths.

Noting my gaze, Leah shifted uncomfortably and tucked the pendant underneath her t-shirt. I looked back up to meet her gaze. 'Here,' I said abruptly, pulling two passports from my pocket and handing them to her. 'I had these made for Zara and Simba a little while ago. Get to an airport –not the one in Volterra. Felix and I will give you enough time to board a plane back to the States.'

I couldn't read Leah's expression. 'You're not leaving?' she asked.

I considered the rest of my plans and shook my head. 'I have unfinished business here,' I told her. My fists tightened automatically. I wasn't leaving Italy until Aro was dead.

Leah looked like she wanted to say something else, but at the last minute changed the subject. 'You… you said that my brothers were here?'

I frowned as I searched for her pack and the Cullens. It was no use – Bella had them all covered. 'I don't know where they are,' I told her honestly. 'They were supposed to arrive before you entered the castle.'

Leah bit her lip. She wasn't moving.

'Your pack are fine, Leah,' I tried to reassure her. 'I will make sure of it. But you need to leave. Now.'

She hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. With one last look at me, she opened the driver's door and slipped into the white car.

'Goodbye, Leah,' I murmured as she drove off. I felt numb as I watched her leave, and I knew that I couldn't let her go a second time. My eyes narrowed in determination. 'I'll see you soon.'

I turned around slowly and searched instinctively for Felix. He was still at the castle. I frowned as I realized that the rest of the Volturi was there too. No one had come after Leah and me. Felix was good, but not good enough to hold back that many vampires on his own. I began to run, this time choosing streets that didn't take me near the humans. I searched for Leah's pack; if I was right, it wouldn't be long before I was able to track them again.

I _was_ right. When I was just two blocks from the castle, the wolves and the Cullens reappeared on my radar – all of them except for Bella, who was still immune to my gift. But she couldn't shield anyone else - not now, when her family and the wolves were locked in battle. I counted them off in my head. They were all in the castle; even Sam's pack was there. With both packs and the Cullens in Italy, the Volturi was outnumbered.

I pushed myself to run faster, half of my mind consumed by the fact that I could track Leah now too. As she moved further and further away from the castle, I pressed on towards it. Seconds later, I rounded a corner and entered the now desolate lobby. The lift doors had been forced halfway open, and stood as such, molded to fit the fingers of whichever vampire had forced his way inside. I stepped inside to see that the roof of the lift had been torn open. Springing up with ease, I curled my fingers around the jagged hole and pulled myself out of the lift and into the shaft. From there I didn't pause. I jumped upwards, using my arms to swing me through the opening two floors up where those doors too had been forced open.

It was chaos. All around the room, immortal beings were grappling with one another in hand-to-hand combat. To my right, the blonde receptionist lay motionless on the ground, her disfigured body strewn amongst the broken pieces of furniture that littered the room. I ducked as a jagged, stone limb whistled past my right ear, crashing, with a noise that shook the whole room, into the far wall. Turning around to see who'd thrown it, I watched as Alice Cullen knocked Alec to the ground and tore off his other arm. I was impressed. She'd obviously been quick enough to attack him before he had the chance to utilize his gift.

'Duck,' Alice yelled suddenly at her mate, Jasper.

He dropped down in time for the second arm to sail over his head and crash into Heidi, who was fighting Esme behind him. Throwing Alice a quick grin, Jasper straightened and resumed his fight against two members of the guard.

On my right hand side, behind the receptionist's desk, Bella and Jane we engaged in a vicious struggle. Neither of them was particularly skilled at fighting, and I found it difficult to tell which of the two had the upper hand. Edward, who was fighting alongside Carlisle and one of the wolves threw desperate glances their way every few seconds.

A familiar yell caught my attention, and I spun to my left to see Emmett Cullen dodge a clever punch thrown by Felix and then twist around to pin him to the ground. Emmett, who was now kneeling on Felix's back, had his whole arm wrapped around Felix's neck. My eyes narrowed furiously as I ran towards the pair, lunging towards Emmett when I was still a few meters away. The collision disrupted Emmett's balance and Felix was able to break his grip and leap to his feet.

I glared at Felix. 'What are you doing?' I hissed.

'He got lucky,' Felix muttered sourly, as he continued to stare threateningly at Emmett, who was now circling the two of us. 'I would have had him if it wasn't for Corin throwing something at his head and making him duck. There's no way in hell he saw my punch coming.'

Emmett's lip began to lift in a snarl, but before he could attack Felix again, Edward appeared behind him.

'Lay off,' Edward murmured to his brother as he grabbed Emmett's collar and held him back. 'Felix and Demetri are fighting with us.'

'No way!' Felix protested, shaking his head. 'Not a chance!'

'Felix…' I warned.

'I'll fight alongside you anytime, Dem,' he said, turning to me. 'But I never said anything about fighting alongside the Cullens.'

'Fine,' I bit back, my eyes flashing between Felix and Emmett. 'Fight each other all you want. But at least leave it until _after_ we finish here. Then, by all means, rip each other apart to your heart's content!'

Emmett and Felix continued to stare at one another menacingly for a few more seconds before Emmett stopped fighting against Edward's hold and Felix gave a grudging nod. 'Fine,' he conceded, turning abruptly and leaving to pick another fight. Emmett continued to watch him for a few more moments before he, too, walked away. Moments later, a metallic screeching filled the room as Emmett used his pent-up energy to get back at Corin for throwing something at him.

No sooner had Felix and Emmett left when two wolves arrived, flanking Edward on either side. Sam and Jacob. Edward didn't look at them, but asked the question in all of their minds. 'Leah got away with the children?'

I nodded. 'She and Nattaya are on their way to the airport now. You were held up, I take it?'

It was Edward's turn to nod. 'The plane was delayed. We got here as soon as we could.' He looked around him. 'Good move on your part taking down Chelsea.'

Following his gaze, I scanned the room. It wasn't just the wolves and Cullens taking down members of the Volturi. With Chelsea out of action, it was every man for himself – as a result, there were more than one or two Volturi members who were fighting one another. I raised my eyebrows. 'So it would seem.'

A high-pitched scream made us all turn around. I searched the room for whichever Cullen had been injured. I knew that it was a Cullen – we had learned quickly in the Volturi not to show signs of weakness, especially in battle. My eyes fell on Esme, whose face was contorted with pain. Heidi had already ripped off one of her legs, and her teeth were now on Esme's throat. Edward and Jacob both made moves towards her, but Seth reached Heidi first. Snarling, Heidi dropped Esme and turned to face her new attacker. Two smaller wolves arrived at the scene moments later and, together, the three of them managed to take Heidi down. I watched in satisfaction. Though many of the younger wolves had a thing or two to learn about fighting, their sheer numbers were allowing them to accomplish what they couldn't have otherwise accomplished on their own.

Whilst Carlisle attended to Esme, using his venom to reattach her leg and seal her wounds, the battle waged on around me. I heard Bella yell out and turned to see Jane slide through her grip. Jane leapt back over the reception desk and began running towards an unguarded door to the left of the lift. The wolves that had run to Seth's aid had left it unprotected, and Jane now had a clear run to her escape. I tore off after her, determined to finish what Bella had started.

'Not so fast, Demetri.'

I heard Caius's silky voice just moments before his pale frame appeared in front of me, blocking my path to Jane. I growled as a large grin spread across his face. 'It's nice to have known you, Caius,' I said in a low voice, catching his ankle with my foot and jerking it towards me so that his left leg gave way under him.

Caius swung his legs forwards, using their momentum to lift himself from the ground. Midair, he straightened them abruptly and kicked me in the stomach with both his feet, throwing me backwards a few metres. I managed to land on my feet, and was able to duck under Caius's reach as he ran forwards and tried to grab at my neck. I was vaguely aware of the fact that Jane had reached the water drain and was now climbing out onto the street, but I was powerless to do anything as Caius came at me once more. I realized that not only had I never fought Caius myself, but I'd never actually seen him fight _anyone_. I was at a disadvantage – Caius knew exactly how I fought, but I was none the wiser when it came to his skills – and so instead of going for the quick kill as I usually would, I held off, dodging and darting around him patiently, waiting for Caius to make a mistake. It took longer than I'd expected; Caius was by no means an incompetent fighter, and when he finally threw a poor punch, I caught his fist in relief, twisting him closer to me so that my teeth easily found his throat.

'Like I said,' I whispered darkly before decapitating him, 'it was nice to have known you.'

Dropping Caius's lifeless body, I scanned through each of the Volturi vampires in my head, ensuring that no one other than Jane had escaped. As my mind located Afton, I froze. Unseen by any in the room, Afton was moving steadily closer to Jacob, who, unaware of the invisible threat, was locked in a fierce battle with Marcus. Trying not to draw attention to myself, I darted after Afton, catching him around the forearm just metres from Jacob. He began to thrash around furiously, trying his best to loosen my grip.

'Stop struggling,' I hissed under my breath. When he continued fight, I tried again, my voice a little harsher this time. 'Afton, listen to me! I'm not going to kill you.'

It took a while, but eventually Afton calmed down enough to speak. 'I don't understand,' he spluttered.

'Chelsea is in the feeding room,' I told him carefully. 'Go, put her back together, and get out of here. You should be able to make it to the water drain without being caught.'

I felt Afton nodding, though his muscles were still tense. 'Okay…' he said, hesitating.

My voice hardened. 'I will be monitoring your movements, Afton. If you try anything stupid, I _will_ kill you both.'

Afton nodded again. 'I don't know what you're playing at, Demetri… but thank you.'

Taking a deep breath, I released Afton and watched in my mind as he moved, unseen, towards the feeding room. I wasn't sure what I was playing at either, but I knew that I couldn't repay Chelsea for saving Leah by killing her mate. She and Afton would be able to start a new life together away from the Volturi, and if Afton decided to take my advice, then I could see no reason to ever have to go after them.

I watched Afton for a few minutes, waiting until Chelsea reappeared on my radar and the two of them left the castle before my mind searched instinctively for Leah. She should have been a good distance from Volterra by now. My breath caught in my throat. _No_. _No!_ How was it possible? Leah was still here – not even ten miles from where she'd driven off. I stiffened. She and Nattaya weren't alone. Jane was there too.

I didn't stop to think. 'Bella!' I yelled. She looked up from where she was piling pieces of broken limbs in the corner of the room. 'I need you to shield Jacob!' I continued desperately, trying not to think about what Jane might be doing to Leah. 'Now, dammit!' I cried. 'Shield him!'

Bella didn't pause. She faced Jacob, concentration etched on her face, and gave a small nod. Still tense, I watched as Leah became immune to my gift and disappeared.

It took five minutes.

Five minutes before Jane, too, disappeared from my radar.


	9. Chapter 9

**Exams are done! Enjoy, everyone :) Hope you like the chapter!**

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><p>'She's dead, Demetri. Jane's dead.'<p>

I spun around to see Edward standing behind me. I hadn't even realized that he'd followed me out of the castle. I stared at him. 'You're sure?'

Edward nodded. 'I watched the whole thing in Jacob's thoughts. Leah killed her.'

I swallowed. 'And Leah?'

Edward paused uncertainly before replying. 'She's – she's fine.'

I didn't miss Edwards's hesitation. 'What happened?' I snarled, taking a threatening step towards him.

'She's fine, Demetri,' he replied carefully. 'Jane pinned her down before she could phase… Leah hurt her arm… But she's okay.'

I turned back around and stared out into the distance where, eight miles away, Leah stood with Nattaya. She was okay. The words echoed across my mind. Jane was dead. _Leah was safe_. I'd gone after her as soon as I'd made sure that Bella was shielding Jacob, but before I'd even made it to the lobby, I was intercepted by two members of the Volturi. I finished them off only moments before Jane disappeared.

'Have Leah's brothers reached her yet?' I asked, referring to the two wolves who'd taken off after Leah as I'd stood fighting to do the same.

'No,' Edward told me. 'That was Quil and Embry. They're not far though.'

I nodded and spun around towards the castle. I wasn't taking Edward's word for any of this; I needed to see it for myself before I believed him. With ease, I entered the broken lift and pulled myself through its torn roof. I could hear Edward behind me. He stepped up beside me as I entered the reception area and, looking at Bella, he echoed the words in my head.

'Draw back your shield,' he instructed her softly.

Bella nodded obediently and less than a second later, I saw Leah once more. She _was_ alive. Nattaya was there too and as Edward had said, Leah's two brothers were not far off. I breathed deeply. Jane was still gone. They were all gone. All except for one.

For the first time, I studied the room around me. The body parts that had been previously scattered across the floor were now piled neatly in the corner of the room. I stared, expressionless, as Carlisle dropped a pale white torso onto the pile and then pulled a box of matches from his pocket. No sooner had he lit one and lowered the flame when thick billows of purple smoke erupted from the pile of bodies, swirling in mesmerizing patterns towards the roof, finding their way gracefully to the open windows and then escaping into the afternoon air – the last remnants of my once-family.

An excited whoop sounded from the far side of the room, and I turned to see a young boy give Emmett Cullen an enthusiastic high-five. Seth. Though it was the first time I'd seen him in his human form, I didn't need to guess at the boy's identity. His resemblance to his sister was uncanny. His eyes… They could have been Leah's.

I was still watching Seth when he spoke. 'We won!' he exclaimed excitedly.

Carlisle nodded from where he stood by the burning pile of bodies. He didn't smile, though there was relief evident on his face. 'It's over,' he murmured.

Seth paused to take a breath and then continued eagerly. 'Did you see Jasper, Emmett? He was _all _over the place! Took down half the Volturi on his own!'

Emmett grinned in response as he gave Jasper a slap on the back. 'Damn straight! He won it for us, easy!'

'We won because the Volturi's two best fighters were fighting with us,' Jasper said in a low voice. He wasn't smiling.

Emmett rolled his eyes. 'We would have won without them.'

An angry hiss came from Felix's direction, but Edward cut him off. 'Maybe,' he agreed quietly. 'But not without casualties.'

Before anyone could reply, Carlisle spoke again. This time he was looking at Felix and me. 'Edward is right,' he said. 'Most likely, we owe our lives to the two of you today… Thank you. Your aid has not gone by unappreciated.'

I nodded shortly. I wasn't interested in his thanks. 'The two wolves are with Leah now,' I said, changing the subject abruptly.

Carlisle nodded. 'We should go to them.' He glanced over as Esme, concern flashing in his eyes. 'The sooner we get home, the better. I can treat everybody's injuries better in Forks.'

At his words, the wolves in the room began to phase back to their human forms. They all pulled on pairs of denim cutoffs and began to make their way towards the exit, dropping into the lift shaft one at a time. As the Cullens began to follow suit, only Edward, Felix and I stood still, remaining, statue-like, as we were.

Seth was the first to notice. 'Aren't you coming?' he asked, frowning in confusion.

Only when Sam growled angrily under his breath did I realize that Seth was speaking to me. I stared at him in shock as he turned to glare at Sam, muttering quietly at him to shut up. The two shape-shifters flanking Sam made intimidating moves towards Seth, but Sam held them back. His face, though, lost none of its fury as his eyes flashed towards me. Seth rolled his eyes and turned back to stare at me expectantly.

My eyes drifted to the right of Seth, where Jacob stood. I was surprised to see that his expression did not mirror Sam's. He appeared almost oblivious to the exchange that had just happened beside him. His head was cocked to one side as he stood staring at me curiously, a small frown playing on his forehead. Though there was no eagerness in his face to mirror Seth's, Jacob too seemed to be waiting for my reply.

I turned back to Seth. 'I'm not done here,' I told him.

Everyone had paused and was watching me now. Edward answered the question in their minds. 'Demetri's going after Aro,' he said. 'I'm going too.'

Felix and I turned to stare sharply at Edward. Before either of us could speak, Jacob moved to take the place at Edward's side. 'So am I,' he said steadily.

It was only a moment later when Seth rushed forwards to join Jacob. 'Me too,' he announced.

'No!' The word came from both Jacob and me. I wasn't sure what had made me say it, but I knew that I wasn't going to let Aro anywhere near Leah's brother.

Jacob shot me another curious glance before turning back to Seth. 'Go back to Leah,' he said. 'Go home with the rest of the pack.'

Seth's face fell, but he nodded obediently. 'Fine,' he grumbled. His eyes flickered towards me as he gave Jacob a meaningful look. Still grumbling, he turned around and followed the rest of the wolves through the lift.

Eventually, only Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Bella were left. Esme and Bella were looking at Edward uncertainly.

'We'll be waiting to hear from you, son,' Carlisle said quietly.

Edward nodded and then turned to Bella. 'I'll be home soon,' he said reassuringly. 'There's four of us and only one of him.'

Bella bit her lip and nodded, walking forwards to give Jacob a quick hug and then moving to brush her lips against Edward's. Alice danced towards Bella, taking her hand and leading her out of the room. Giving their son a last look, Carlisle and Esme turned to follow.

I waited until they were gone before speaking. 'You two can leave,' I said to Jacob and Edward. 'You have no reason to stay.'

'We want Aro dead every bit as much as you do,' Edward pointed out. By the fierce look in Jacob's eyes, I could tell that he agreed. I thought back to the night that we'd gone to Forks for Renesmee. Of course the two of them wanted to see Aro dead. They knew as well as I did that he still wanted the half vampire child.

'Well prepare to take a back seat,' Felix scoffed. 'Demetri and I have this covered.'

'No,' I said, turning to face him. 'Aro is mine.'

Felix and Edward both raised their eyebrows, but Jacob just shrugged. 'Fine by me,' he said. 'As long as _someone_ ends him, I couldn't care less about who does it.'

'Which would be fine if Demetri _could_ kill Aro on his own,' Felix snapped.

'Meaning what, leech?'

'Meaning that Aro is a good fighter,' Edward said softly, still staring at me. 'Better than any of us.'

Jacob burst out laughing, but stopped quickly once he realized that Edward was being serious. 'You're kidding right?' he exclaimed, looking around at the rest of us. 'Aro? As in old, yellowed, almost-in-need-of-a-walking-stick Aro? Come off it! The guy doesn't even look like he could take on Colin!'

'Aro taught me all I know about fighting,' Felix said. 'And that's only a fraction of what he knows.'

I watched as Jacob shook his head in disbelief. I could understand where he was coming from. Aro, after all, looked nothing like the fighter he was. What was more, he never even _acted_ like the fighter he was. In the early days of the Volturi, he'd recruited Felix and taught him to fight. Since then, Felix had been the one to train any new members of the guard. And it was we who'd carried out Aro's plans – we who'd fought and killed numerous vampires throughout the decades. Aro never took part in the fighting. He always watched, satisfied to stand with Renata on the sidelines. Hell, apart from a select few, the rest of the Volturi wasn't even aware that Aro _could_ fight.

'He's mine,' I said again as my hands curled into determined fists. I wanted to be the one to tear Aro apart and feel the life drain from his body, to feel every danger to Leah and her pack fade with his last breath. This was _my _fight. Aro was mine to end.

'Fine,' Felix muttered. 'But don't say I didn't warn you when I'm putting your pieces back together.'

I grinned. 'Deal.'

'Aro's on his way back to Italy,' Edward said, picking the information from my head and changing the subject.

I nodded. 'He must have been in contact with the guard.'

'He was,' Jacob broke in. 'One of them was on the phone to Aro when we arrived. Alice got to him before he could tell Aro about our arrival, though.'

'It was Alec,' Edward said. 'From what I could tell of his thoughts, he didn't say anything to Aro about Felix either. It was chaos when the two of you took off with Leah and the children. I'm not sure Alec even knew about Felix helping you.'

'Good,' I said, slipping my hand into my pocket and pulling out the phone I'd taken from Felix in Nigeria. I handed it to him, not bothering to give Felix any instructions. He knew what I wanted.

Felix shot me a quick grin before dialing Aro's number.

Aro answered within seconds. His voice was uncharacteristically anxious. 'What is going on, Felix?'

Felix's voice was grim. 'The girl, Leah, came to Italy for the children.'

'So I heard from Alec. I understand that the two of you abandoned your trip to Nigeria.'

'When Demetri saw Leah's location, he threatened to fight me. I told him I'd help him save the girl. That way, I could hold the two of them here so that you could deal with them as you pleased upon your return.'

'Go on,' Aro said darkly.

Felix's voice was the perfect mixture of arrogance and uncertainty. 'Things… didn't go to plan. Demetri and Leah made a break with the children. We went after them, but Leah's pack arrived soon afterwards. That was when Alec was cut off.'

'And now?'

'We fought them. There were casualties on both sides. Things are under control now, though – Jane and Alec returned the children to the castle.'

'Good,' Aro muttered, though it was easy to hear the anger simmering beneath his words. 'What about Demetri and the girl?'

'Both are alive,' Felix responded. 'We are holding them here until your return.'

'Which, because of your blunder, will be in a few hours.'

'You have abandoned your errand in Russia?'

'I abandoned my errand once Alec was cut off after telling me that Demetri had escaped with the children!' Aro hissed.

Felix knew exactly how to play his part. 'Yes, Master,' he responded in a subdued voice.

Aro sighed theatrically. 'Very well, Felix. Leave Demetri for me. I shall return shortly.'

'Yes, Master,' Felix repeated before hanging up. He slid the phone into his pocket and turned to me. 'It appears that Aro wants to kill you every bit as much as you want to kill him.'

I shrugged. 'So it would seem.'

I turned to Jacob and Edward. Jacob was staring around the room, his face both curious and disgusted. Edward, though, was studying me with a slight frown creasing his forehead.

'Tell me,' he eventually said, 'Why is it that Aro went to Russia? It is unusual for him to undertake such a task when he had so many others at his disposal.'

'It was convenient,' I replied. 'He needed me out of the country so that I would finally form a plan regarding the children. Without my plans, Aro had no way to make his own.' I paused before continuing. 'Aro being out of the country at the same time as me only tempted me to make my plans that much quicker. It was a risk on his part, yes, but it played into Aro's hands as much as it played into mine. It was the best chance that either of us had to finally beat the other.'

Felix interrupted before Edward could respond. 'Demetri is the deadliest tracker on the planet,' he said. 'Finding a tracker to replace him was always going to be difficult, if not impossible. Aro wanted the best, and he wasn't prepared to trust anybody else with the job. As Dem said, our coinciding trips played into Aro's hands. But even if that hadn't been the case, Aro was always going to go to Russia to see the girl for himself. It is not a trivial role that he is attempting to fill.'

Edward nodded. 'I wonder if she would have been as powerful as you,' he mused.

I shrugged. 'It is difficult to say. Gifts manifest in a much weaker form whilst their owner is still human. Who knows what she would have become if Aro changed her?'

Edward nodded again before turning and walking away. 'Who knows indeed?' he murmured to himself.

Jacob frowned and spun around. 'Where are you going?' he called out.

Edward looked back over his shoulder. 'To kill time,' he replied. 'I've always wanted to see the rest of this castle.'

Jacob grimaced, repulsed by the idea. 'Suit yourself,' he muttered, moving deliberately away from Felix and me and sitting himself on the ground against the far wall.

I looked at Felix. For the first time since we'd arrived in Italy, it was just him and me.

He rolled his eyes when he noticed me watching him. 'Ask away,' he conceded.

'If you say so,' I said, smiling slightly before asking him seriously, 'Why did you help us? If you'd even _thought_ about it beforehand, Aro never would have sent you to Nigeria with me. And he certainly wouldn't have believed you on the phone just then.' I frowned. 'Which makes me think that you didn't plan on freeing the children.'

Felix was staring past me. 'Did you know that when we killed the rest of the tribe, and I saw you lying on the ground in agony, I felt _guilty_?' He laughed humorlessly. 'Strange, isn't it? But I honestly didn't think anything more of it… I knew that you were planning to escape with the children, but not even once did I contemplate helping you… And then we went to Nigeria and I heard about Leah, and it was as if my decision had already been made – I was always going to help you.' Felix paused for a few moments. He looked at me then and continued. 'In the whole of the Volturi, you're the only person I've ever considered a friend. And yet I was loyal to them. Then when I saw so many of the Volturi fighting one another today, it finally clicked why I hadn't helped you before.'

'Chelsea,' I murmured, remembering how disjointed our coven had been when she was lying in pieces on the floor of the feeding room.

Felix nodded. 'I never realized how powerful her gift was… Apparently, Aro didn't either. In Nigeria, away from her influence, I was finally able to make my own decisions. It's sick, isn't it?'

I watched him for a few moments longer. Finally, I spoke. 'Well… thank you. We couldn't have done it without you.'

Felix grinned, all seriousness gone. 'Damn straight you couldn't have!' He slapped me on the back and then launched himself towards the staircase, in the direction Edward had gone. 'I'm going to go make sure Pretty Boy doesn't mess with my stuff!' he called, before disappearing from the room.

Still contemplating Chelsea's gift, I walked over to the edge of the room and leant against the wall in a gesture so human, I almost laughed at myself. By the time Jacob spoke, I'd almost forgotten his presence in the room.

'Is that why you rebelled against your coven?' he asked quietly. 'Because of the time you spent in Africa away from Chelsea?'

I looked at him sharply. 'Because of my time in Africa, yes. Because of Chelsea, no.'

'Because of Leah.' It wasn't a question.

I looked away. 'Because of Leah,' I echoed.

'I've seen you in her thoughts,' Jacob continued. 'I mean, she tries to hide it, but I've watched her memories… You actually love her, don't you? You wouldn't have done all of _this_' – he gestured towards my coven's ashes – 'if you didn't.'

I didn't reply, though it did little to deter Jacob.

'I'm curious,' he said. 'If you hadn't needed to stay for Aro, what would you have done when Seth all but invited you home with us?'

I took a long time to reply. Eventually I sighed and looked back at him. 'The same thing that I'm going to do once I'm finished with Aro.'

'Which is what?'

'Ask for your permission to visit La Push.'

Jacob chewed his lip. 'Why?'

'Because I need to speak with Leah. I owe her that much at least. If she sends me away, I'll leave; you won't have to hear from me again.'

'And if she wants you to stay?'

'Whatever Leah wants,' I murmured.

Jacob gave a quiet laugh. 'Everything for her, right?'

I smiled. 'Everything for her.'

We fell into silence then. Not long afterwards, Edward and Felix returned. Edward moved to stand next to Jacob, and Felix took his place beside me. Minutes and hours ticked by, and none of us spoke.

I watched as Aro moved closer and closer to Volterra. My mind settled somewhere between impatience and anticipation. In an hour or two, things would be over. It would _all_ be over. Some part of me recognized that I should have been strategizing for the upcoming fight, but more often than not, my mind wandered to what would happen _after_ the fight. Leah was on a plane now, back to the States. Would she send me away? Or would she hear me out? Jacob had asked me what I'd do if Leah asked me to stay. I swallowed. He was kidding himself. She wouldn't ask me to stay. But at the very least, she'd know I cared.

I stood up then, restless with waiting, and began to pace around the room. And still Aro moved closer.

Ten miles.

Eight miles.

Four miles.

Two miles.

I finally stopped pacing. 'He'll be here in under a minute.' I looked at Jacob and Edward. 'We need to be out of the room when he arrives. The longer we can keep him from being suspicious, the better.'

Jacob leapt to his feet, phasing effortlessly back to his wolf form. While Felix remained where he was, the rest of us moved into a dark corridor to the left of the lift.

Time was moving too fast and yet too slow.

Eventually the room filled with the tell-tale sounds of Aro's arrival. I heard him swing himself onto the roof of the lift before, seconds later, he leapt into the reception area. His back was to us as he approached Felix. Even as he held his hand out to shake Felix's, Aro's head whipped from side to side as he regarded the battle-worn room. I couldn't see his expression, but I could easily imagine what was going through his head. Aro knew something was up. He was smart enough to realize that things weren't as they should be.

As Felix's hand touched his, Aro froze. The skin contact lasted only a moment before Aro let go and spun around, knowing exactly the sight about to greet him. I stepped out of the shadows and into the room, sending a cold, determined stare Aro's way.

A dark chuckle erupted from his lips. 'So, it has come down to this, Demetri, my old friend. Servant against master, passion against reason.' I didn't reply, and Aro's smile grew. 'And from what I gather, I am _yours_. No one is to help you in this fight, am I correct? Demetri, Demetri, Demetri,' Aro said, shaking his head. 'Have I taught you nothing? Arrogance has always been your greatest downfall.' He was taking slow steps towards me now.

I stood motionless where I was. 'And yet it has been your greatest success,' I countered.

Aro's eyes narrowed but his smile remained fixed in place. 'Ah Demetri, but that's where you're wrong. Confidence is not arrogance; one belongs to a conqueror, the other to a fool.'

'I guess we'll find out,' I said, before lunging towards him.

Aro was ready to meet me, but at the last minute I changed direction, landing instead to the left of him. From then on, it was fight time. There was no more talking as Aro and I circled each other cautiously. Around us was dead silence as Felix, Edward and Jacob watched our progress.

Neither of us was willing to make the first move. We feinted and darted around one another for a few minutes before Aro tired of my antics. Quick as lightning, he leapt forward, grabbing both of my hands in his and lifting his foot to my chest. Falling backwards, he used his momentum to pull me down with him and lifted his second leg over my neck. Using the force of both legs, he slammed me down onto the ground next to him and held me pinned there as both of his hands wrapped around my right arm and pulled it down towards himself. I cursed as pain shot up my arm. I knew that had I been human, the angle and force he'd used would have been enough to snap the bone in two.

Using my own legs for momentum this time, I lifted my lower back off of the ground and did a backwards somersault, breaking Aro's grip and leaping to my feet. He leapt up too, but I was prepared this time and met him side on. Grabbing both of his forearms, I slipped my left leg between his and used it like a crowbar to throw Aro back onto the ground. Taking a backwards step, I lifted both fists and waited for him to rise once more.

Again, Aro and I circled one another. He made several moves towards me, but each time I managed to dart out of his reach. On his fifth try, though, he was quick enough to land his hands on my shoulders. Placing his foot on my thigh, he used it as leverage to fall backwards and catapult me over his head. I spun in the air, landing hard on my back. Stupidly, I rolled over onto my stomach and lifted myself onto all fours. And therein lay my mistake.

Before I could get to my feet, Aro straddled me, bending down to wrap his right arm around my neck. Leaning to the left, he somersaulted along the ground, pulling me with him, so that he landed on his rear with both legs still wrapped around my torso and a stranglehold around my neck.

Bringing his lips to my ear, he whispered softly, 'Goodbye, Demetri.'

If Aro had had his palms touching my skin, he might have read the plan in my mind. Then again, he might not have. I didn't remember the plan actually crossing my thoughts at all. My hand slipped into my pocket. It was stupid, dangerous… something that no vampire ever dreamed of doing. Because if things went wrong, Aro and I were both dead. And nothing Felix did could put me together again.

As Aro's teeth touched my throat, I pulled my fingers from my pocket, lighting the lighter in my hand with a quick flick of the thumb. To the left of me, Felix swore loudly. Before Aro could react, I touched the flame to the arm that still wrapped itself around my neck. Instantly, as the fire touched his skin, Aro's arm began to disintegrate in clouds of purple. Fortunately for me, the shock was enough to loosen the grip of Aro's legs, and I threw myself as far away as I could from his burning arm.

Aro leapt to his feet as a thick, guttural cry sounded from his lips. His eyes were mad with rage as he bent his head to his right shoulder and tore his own arm from his body, separating the rest of himself from the fire that ravaged his limb.

Furious, Aro ran towards me, hell-bent on destroying me. His anger came at the expense of his reason, though, and this time, I used his own move against him. Grabbing Aro's shoulders, I lifted my foot to his thigh, leaning backwards and throwing him over my head. He hit the wall behind me and I used the time to pick up a broken piece of wood from the earlier battle. Moving quickly towards where Aro's right arm lay smoking on the ground, I held the wood to the burning limb. Better than any match, the arm caused the wood to erupt in flames.

My face hardened as I turned back towards Aro and began to walk towards him with the flaming torch held in front of me. He was on his feet now, searching wildly for an escape. But there was none. Edward, Jacob and Felix had all the exits blocked.

He was done.

When I held the flame towards Aro, he didn't even try to fight. He just closed his eyes and embraced his death. His clothes burned brightly for a few seconds until they withered to nothing, leaving Aro's pale skin to smolder in purple wisps. He fell to his knees first before his body decayed to an unrecognizable pile of ash. Sick at the sight, I turned away.

Edward was staring at me in shock. Felix, who, until now, had been ready to tell me what an idiot I'd been, simply knocked his fist to my shoulder in a sign of comradeship. But it was Jacob's gesture than meant the most.

He walked forward and placed his hand on my shoulder, looking me straight in the eye. 'I think that you should come back with us and speak to Leah.'

* * *

><p><strong>P.S. I know a lot of you were wondering about what was going through Leah's head during the whole Italy trip. Just wanted to let you know that we'll be hearing from her soon.<strong>


	10. If You Can Hear This

**I was so nervous about posting this chapter. It's been in my head for so many months and I wanted it to be perfect. It's not, trust me. But it's as close as I could come to what I'd imagined in my head. I really hope you like it.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Leah<strong>

I was sitting on the jetty, my legs hanging over the edge. Only my toes dipped in the water as I stared out at the unforgiving horizon. _Where the hell was he_? It had been over a day since Billy had called with news that Jacob was on his way home; he hadn't said much – only that Edward and Jake were safe and were waiting on a flight to return home. That was all. No news of anyone else. I swung my legs forwards, kicking furiously at the water. W_hy _would_ Jake send news of anyone else_? What did he care? What did _anyone_ care?

I clenched my teeth angrily, trying not to think his name. But just as they had every day since Africa, thoughts of Demetri penetrated my mind's every defence, invading my head and leaving me grasping desperately for an escape. I tried to think back to a week ago, when my thoughts weren't colored with doubt and confusion. When I had been so sure that I'd _known_ Demetri. When I'd punched Sam for suggesting that our friendship was anything less than honest. I sniffed angrily as silent tears began to trace hot lines across my cheeks. When Nattaya arrived, all the lies I'd once believed were exposed for what they truly were. Demetri had never valued my kind. He'd taken Aro to meet Nattaya so that the Volturi could massacre her tribe and steal the innocence of their children. And all the while, I'd sat here day after day, missing him, _loving_ him.

And now I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to believe and I didn't know how to feel. I wished that Demetri had left me to die at the hands of his coven. At least then I'd have known where I stood. Instead the leech had saved my life and sent me home without a word of explanation. The worst part was that through it all, I had loved him. But I shouldn't have. I should've hated him for what he'd done. I should have feared for my life as I lay on the floor, hearing Demetri's whispered words in my ear. But I didn't. I felt only safe. When he left me to go and rescue the children, I should have followed him out of mistrust. But I didn't. I followed him because I couldn't stand to watch him walk away from me. Because I would have rather died with him than watched him die alone.

And now I didn't even know whether he was alive.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out the memories. But it was no use. Jane's words echoed in my head, the soundtrack to my fears.

**(* * *)**

_My foot pushed the accelerator against the floor of the car. It was no use. We were already going as fast as the car could manage. I slammed my hand against the steering wheel in frustration. I was wasting time. I needed to leave Nattaya and the children somewhere safe so that I could turn back around and return to Volterra. Demetri said that my pack was on their way to Italy. I wasn't abandoning them. I wasn't abandoning _him_._

'_C'mon,' I muttered under my breath._ Just a few more miles_, I told myself. Just a few more miles before I could turn around._

_Through the corner of my eyes, I could see Nattaya watching me. Stubbornly, I kept my eyes on the road, avoiding her gaze. I hadn't spoken since we'd left Volterra. I didn't know if I could. My throat felt thick and dry. I just wanted it all to be over. I wanted to forget that I'd ever seen Demetri. I wanted to forget the way he'd looked at me when he asked me to trust him._

_I looked in the review mirror, searching for a distraction, and swore loudly._

'_Leah?' Nattaya's voice was concerned._

_I bit my cheek and tasted blood in my mouth. 'Can you drive?' I asked through gritted teeth._

'_Not well… Leah, what's wrong?'_

_I kept my eyes on the red car behind us. It was moving steadily closer. 'Well enough?' I pressed._

'_Yeah, I suppose so… But why? What is it?'_

_I swerved to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. The wheels screeched loudly as the car came to an abrupt halt. 'Jane,' I said steadily, tasting the bitter word on my tongue. I kept speaking as I opened the car door and stepped out onto the road. 'Go,' I said firmly. 'Take the children and leave Italy. There are passports on the back seat.'_

_The red car braked to a slow stop fifty metres behind us. Its slamming car door wasn't enough to drown out Nattaya's words. 'I – I can't leave without you, Leah.'_

'_Go,' I cried desperately. 'Take Simba and Zara, Nattaya! Please!'_

_Nattaya was shaking as she nodded. Tears streamed down her face. As she shuffled into the driver's seat, I pushed the door closed and spun around to face Jane. I wasn't quick enough. I'd misjudged her proximity. Before I could phase – before I could even shout out – I was on my back. Jane straddled me, holding my arms and pinning me roughly against the ground. I couldn't move; I couldn't even struggle. Vainly, I tried to phase. The heat along my spine flickered briefly and then died. I was shaking, but it wasn't enough to precede a transformation. I glared venomously at Jane and bared my teeth._

_She laughed softly, an innocent, child-like sound, and smiled. 'I heard about your little… flaw,' Jane said, still smiling. 'Aro saw it in Demetri's thoughts. It makes things easier that you can't phase while I'm touching you.' She bit her lip in a show of contemplation. 'Well, maybe not _easier_,' she amended. 'But certainly more fun.'_

_I didn't reply. I just squeezed my eyes shut and prepared myself for what was coming. I didn't know if Bella was still shielding me. I ground my teeth together. That I was protected against Jane's gift was the best that I could hope for. If Jane chose to torture me before she killed me, my immunity might just be enough to catch her off guard._

_My eyes flew open as I heard Nattaya stall the car. Jane's eyes flickered upwards as Nattaya restarted the engine and then stalled again. My heart began to race as I heard her soft sob. In something of a grin, Jane bared her teeth and looked down at me once more._

_She leaned right down so that our cheeks were touching and whispered softly into my ear, 'Who's going to save you now that your precious Demetri isn't here?'_

_I growled viciously._

_I felt Jane's cheek move as she smiled once more. 'Don't be fooled into thinking he's any good, dog. I don't know what Demetri was playing at today, but it has nothing to do with him giving a damn about you. Or the children for that matter… He certainly didn't restrain himself when we went to Africa.' Jane paused and then laughed. 'If you ask me, the world is a better place without that _filth_.'_

_To my right, Nattaya was still struggling to start the car. My head was throbbing. I could hear the pounding in my ears. Cold, hateful fury washed through me, surging through my veins and reaching every part of me. It had nowhere to go, nowhere to escape. 'Shut up!' I yelled, my voice savage and poisonous._

_Jane sat back up, pushing hard against my right arm for leverage. I gritted my teeth as a sharp pain shot up my limb. My eyes watered, but I gritted my teeth against the pain, refusing to show weakness. Jane cocked her head. 'As you wish,' she murmured._

_There was no warning. The cold fury in my veins turned to fire as it coursed through me and began to eat at my flesh. I screamed. I didn't understand; I couldn't grasp what was happening. All I knew was that I was dying. I _had_ to be dying. Life didn't hurt. Not like this. My body was thrashing wildly, trying desperately to escape the pain. From an unremembered corner of my mind, forgotten words echoed in my thoughts. _It's an illusion. Hold onto that knowledge tight enough and eventually you learn to think about something other than the pain. _I kept screaming. The words meant something. I _knew_ that. But I couldn't remember. Not now. Then, ever so slowly, as my throat became hoarse, the voice that had framed those words so long ago became clearer in my mind. That voice… it belonged to someone… someone who could bring me back to the surface… someone who –_

_And then it was gone. And the only pain left was in my arm, a simple echo of what I'd felt moments before. In the second it took for me to realize that Jane was no longer on top of me, I'd leapt to my feet. Jane was glaring at me, furious as she tried to torture me further, uncomprehending of the fact that I was suddenly immune to her gift._

_It was the easiest phase of my lifetime. The most natural. One second I was human, the next I was a killer. Baring my teeth, I growled and lunged towards her._

**(* * *)**

I shook my head to clear the memory, sick with reliving those moments. I barely remembered the fight. I didn't even know how long it'd lasted, only that I'd ripped and torn Jane into savage, unrecognizable pieces.

'Leah?'

I stayed where I was, twisting around in my seat at the sound of his voice. 'You're back.'

Jacob shifted uncomfortably. He looked nervous. Walking over, he looked down at me. 'Mind if I join you?'

I stared back at him and just nodded. With a hesitant smile, Jake crouched down next to me and slung his legs over the edge of the jetty. For a long time we just sat there, neither of us talking. I was the one to eventually break the silence. Now that it came down to it, I didn't really want to talk to Jacob. I didn't want to talk to anyone. But I needed to know what had happened in Italy. 'I hear you guys killed Aro.'

Jacob frowned. 'Demetri killed him. The rest of us just watched.'

I stared down, fidgeting with my hands. I was still crying. _Demetri killed Aro_. That had to mean that he was alive. And yet what did it matter? Demetri was in Italy and I was here, as trapped and as broken as I ever was.

Jacob took a deep breath and cleared his throat. I lifted my head to look at him. 'Leah… I owe you an apology,' he said.

It was my turn to frown. My voice was thick when I answered. 'I was the one who took off to Italy without telling you.'

Jacob shook his head and stared out at the ocean. 'I should have been someone that you trusted enough to talk to about Italy… I –' Jacob swallowed and brought his hands to his face. 'I've been a crap leader, Leah. I get that and I'm sorry.'

'You're a good leader, Jake,' I disagreed.

'I tried to protect you… to protect the pack. Ever since we caught up with you in Africa and I heard about Aro's plans… I tried to protect you, but in the end I just isolated you.' For the first time, Jacob turned and looked at me. 'It wasn't right and I'm sorry.'

A lump formed in my throat and I couldn't speak. I looked away from Jake. I didn't blame him, not really. His words were special. I knew that in time I would treasure them. But for now they weren't enough. I wanted them to be, but they weren't. My pain stemmed from a place much deeper than his words had the power to reach.

Jacob threw a warm arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder. 'There's something else, Leah.'

I tilted my head to look up at him but didn't respond.

Jake watched me cautiously, gauging my reaction as he spoke. 'Demetri came back with us. He's here in La Push... He's waiting for you in the forest if you want to speak with him.'

My breath caught in my throat. I pulled away from Jake and stared at him. 'I can't – I don't – Jake, I don't know if I can.' My voice was shaking. It didn't sound like me.

A small furrow appeared between Jacob's eyes. 'You love him, Leah.'

'That's my point!' I cried. 'I feel so lost in all of this! Did you know that when Sam left me, I didn't even cry? I hated him, Jake! I hated him and I promised myself that I would never let anyone hurt me like that again… And then Demetri came along… And I don't even know what he did but he somehow got through my defences… And I hate myself for that, Jake! I hate that I made myself vulnerable again.'

'You're crying now,' Jacob pointed out softly.

I wiped my eyes furiously with the back of my hand. 'I trusted Demetri. Even after everything that happened with Sam, I trusted him… And it's so much worse this time than it was with Sam. I can't explain it, but it just means so much more.' I could taste the salt from my tears. 'It feels like I'm losing myself, and I don't know how to get me back.'

Jake put his arm around me again. 'Maybe you're not losing yourself, Leah,' he whispered. 'Maybe you're finding yourself.'

I tried to take slow breaths, to calm the turmoil inside me. Jacob fell silent. I felt like pieces of me were breaking off and shattering against the ground. It was a few minutes later when the quiet was broken by slow, steady footsteps on the jetty. Jake and I both spun around and leapt to our feet.

'What do you want?' I asked, my voice hoarse.

Edward stopped when he was still a few metres away from us. 'Jacob told you about Demetri?'

I nodded. 'So?'

'I listened to his thoughts in Italy, Leah… I think that you should know what happened with Nattaya's tribe.'

I swallowed and tried my best to keep my voice steady. 'Demetri took Aro to meet with Nattaya,' I said. 'Days later, she found them dead… I know what happened, Cullen.'

Edward shook his head. 'Demetri took Aro to Nattaya, yes. But not because he wanted the tribe dead. He tried to protect them.'

I was shaking. 'Jane said –'

'You're going to believe something that Jane said?' Edward asked gently. 'She used her gift against Demetri when he tried to save the lions… He was on his own against the whole of the guard, Leah. He did everything he could, but he never stood a chance… Demetri didn't even know about the children until it was too late.'

'They're still dead!' I cried. 'Nattaya's _whole_ family is dead because of what happened that day.'

Edward didn't reply. He just stood there watching me.

'I think that you should speak with him, Leah.'

Jacob's quiet voice to the left of me made me swing around. 'Jacob…'

'If you don't want to see him again, Demetri will leave.' Jake took a deep breath. 'But if you do, he has my permission to stay.' Before I could respond, Jacob walked forwards and put his arms around me. 'Talk to him, Leah.'

I squeezed my eyes shut and just nodded into his shoulder. The thing was, I didn't know if I was strong enough not to.

**(* * *)**

I walked there slowly. Each step took a lifetime. When I entered the clearing, Demetri had his back to me. He turned around slowly and watched me. 'Hi,' he said quietly, hesitantly.

I couldn't look at him; couldn't look at him and yet I couldn't look away. I tried to reply, but the word caught in my throat. I swallowed and tried again. 'Hi.' My voice cracked on the word.

'I didn't think you'd come.'

I didn't reply. I just watched him. An ache swept through me at Demetri's closeness. It Italy, the ache had been bearable; there had been so much else on my mind. But now, without the distractions… I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth against the pain.

Suddenly, Demetri's scent became stronger, more potent. It tangled itself around me, enveloping me in its familiarity and caressing my skin. I inhaled. How could I have not recognized that it was him pinning me to the ground in Italy? Out here, with no other thoughts to torment me, his scent was the only thing in the whole world. I opened my eyes and the ache increased in its intensity. Demetri was closer now, only a meter away.

He looked unsure. For the first time since I'd known Demetri, he looked vulnerable. When he spoke, his voice was full of pain. 'Leah, I am so sorry for everything that ha–'

'Edward told me what happened with the lions,' I cut in. I couldn't bear to see Demetri like this; couldn't bear to see everything I felt echoed in his eyes.

A flash of anger crossed Demetri's face. 'It wasn't his place.'

'Maybe not,' I whispered. 'But I'm glad that he did.' And, for the first time, I really was glad that Edward had spoken to me. Perhaps I'd appreciated his words all along; I had just been too scared to admit it to myself.

Demetri ran his hands through his hair as he searched for the right words. Finally, he looked back at me; his eyes blazed with emotion. 'If I could go back and change things, Leah…'

There was a lump in my throat again. 'I know,' I murmured as tears pricked at the back of my eyes. 'I think we'd all do things differently if we could.'

Demetri had his hands on his head now. He looked so full of angst as he struggled for words. Eventually, he spoke again. 'Do you know what Aro said to me before I killed him?' he asked. 'He said that I was arrogant; that it had always been my biggest downfall.' Demetri laughed bitterly. 'He was right. I thought that I knew what I was doing. I thought that I could do it on my own – that I could keep all of you safe… you, your pack… the lions…'

'You didn't kill them, Demetri,' I whispered.

He looked at me fiercely. 'I didn't save them!'

The ache was so much worse now. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. I reached up and took one of Demetri's hands in my own. I didn't know what I was doing, only that I needed something to hold onto… _someone_ to hold onto… I took a deep breath and looked up at Demetri. I couldn't read the expression in his eyes. I swallowed and finally confronted the guilt that had haunted me since Nattaya's arrival. 'I didn't save them either,' I finally managed to say.

'No!' Demetri hissed. 'Leah, none of this is your fault.'

I shook my head and stared at my feet. Demetri was wrong. 'I should have warned them,' I insisted.

A cold hand reached below my chin and lifted my head to look at him. I still clutched desperately to his other hand. 'Listen to me, Leah,' Demetri said softly. 'Nothing you could have done would've stopped Aro… What happened in Italy this week – that's what should have happened a long time ago. I was just too stubborn to see it.' Demetri wiped away a tear that I didn't even know I was crying. 'And for that I need your forgiveness.'

I thought of Nattaya's silent tears. 'I'm not the one you should be asking for forgiveness,' I murmured. 'I'm not the one _we_ should be asking for forgiveness.'

Demetri shook his head. 'You're not the _only_ one I should be asking for forgiveness,' he corrected. 'But I still hurt you, Leah, and that's something I hate myself for every day.' He let go of my chin and reached down to touch the pendant hanging from my neck – the pendant I hadn't taken off since Africa. It hung from a long string so that even when I phased, I still wore it. 'I meant it, you know,' Demetri whispered softly, still touching the pendant. 'I would do anything and _everything_ for you, Leah.'

More tears were falling now. 'Demetri…'

'No, Leah, you need to hear this. I love you. And I know I'm probably the last person on earth that you want to hear that from, but I do.' Demetri held my gaze steadily. 'I can find anyone in the world, Leah. _Anyone_. And yet I didn't find myself until I met you.'

I looked down. I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to hear this because it was everything that I wanted and still everything that I feared. 'That's what Jacob said,' I mumbled. 'That maybe I'm not losing myself… maybe I'm finding myself.'

Demetri lifted my chin once more. His touch was so gentle. 'And what do _you_ say?'

I parted my lips and tried to breathe normally. 'It seems wrong, somehow,' I whispered, 'to talk about something like love in the midst of everything that's happened.'

Demetri didn't reply for a long time. He just held my gaze. I couldn't pull away from his eyes; they were coal black and yet somehow they still held such a depth of emotion. He placed his free hand on top of where I was still holding his other one. 'Maybe,' he finally said, 'in the midst of everything that's happened, love is exactly what we should be talking about.'

'No!' I cried, pulling my hands away and taking a step backwards. 'I _know_ what you're thinking Demetri. It's what _everybody_ tries to fool themselves into believing. That love has the power to save, to heal. That love can somehow bring something good out of all of this. But it won't. It can't.' I shook my head. 'You're wrong.'

Demetri stayed where he was. 'You don't believe that,' he said.

'Nothing I've experienced has ever suggested otherwise!' I cried.

'Then let me prove you wrong. Let _me_ show you otherwise.'

I stared at Demetri. He was looking at me like… like I was the only thing that mattered to him in the entire world. Like his whole existence depended on my response. Not even Sam had ever looked at me like that. I squeezed my eyes shut and more tears fell. There was nothing left in the world but this ache, this _pain_. This pain and the man who promised to take it all away. But I was just so _scared_.

'Do you love me, Leah?' Demetri's words were so quiet.

I swallowed. The word left my lips without instruction. I was powerless to stop it. Because the answer was as much a part of me as my fear. 'Yes.'

'And do you trust me?'

'Yes.' Only when I said it did I realize that it was true.

'Then let me love you back. Let me look after you.'

I opened my eyes, and as I looked at Demetri, I knew that I was done. I was done running. I was so _tired_ of being scared all the time. I couldn't fight it anymore. I wasn't strong enough to fight it. I didn't even _want_ to be strong enough to fight it. 'Okay,' I whispered.

Demetri swallowed. He looked at me like he was afraid to even breathe. And somehow I knew that if he had been human, he would have been crying too. 'Okay?' he asked, almost hesitant, almost fearful that he'd somehow misunderstood.

I nodded, and for what felt like the first time in my life, I wanted to smile. I wanted to _laugh_. Then suddenly I was in Demetri's arms. He was holding me so tightly. My arms were wrapped around his neck, my face hidden in his shoulder. And I did smile. Because the ache was no longer there. Because Demetri was holding me together, and I believed him when he promised to _always _hold me together.

I lifted my head to look at Demetri and pressed my forehead against his. 'I love you,' he whispered.

I didn't say it back. I couldn't. Not yet. But I felt it. With everything inside of me, I felt it. Slowly, softly, I pressed my lips against his, hoping that I could show him what I could not yet say – that I loved him. That I would always, _always_ love him.

Demetri's hand twisted in my hair as he kissed me back; the other rested on the small of my back, pulling me even nearer to him. Our lips moved together, weaving an intimate tale that only the two of us knew. A flame began to burn in the pit of my stomach, burning ever brighter as it began to spread steadily through the rest of me. And Demetri was a part of me; as much a part of me as my own heart. I didn't know where I ended and he began. I pressed myself closer to him. I didn't _want_ to know where I ended and he began.

And like the first time he kissed me, I could taste the salt from my tears. But this time it wasn't because I was hurting. It wasn't even because I was happy. It was so much more than that. It was because I was home.

* * *

><p><strong>I'll be posting an epilogue soon and then I'm marking this story as 'complete'. You've all been such a huge part of this journey, and your support has been amazing. I'd like a little bit of you in this story, and so please tell me in your reviews whose point of view you'd like the epilogue in (Leah, Demetri or both).<strong>

**The song I based this chapter on is 'If you can hear this' by Nomy. It's beautiful - you should listen to it :)  
><strong>


	11. Epilogue

**ONE YEAR LATER:**

**Leah**

It was a scene stolen from bygone dreams, changed and perfected to fit my reality. It was the same and yet beautifully different, masquerading in front of me and daring me silently to believe in all of its promises.

I stared at the ground and tried to concentrate on moving each foot deliberately in front of the other, knowing all too well the sight that would greet me if I dared to lift my eyes. I knew that Demetri would be watching me, waiting earnestly beneath the canopy of trees. I knew the expression I'd see on his face, too – the expression I trusted with my life, the expression that loved me with everything he had to give. Felix and Seth would be standing with him, as would Nattaya, wrapped in ivory to match her copper skin. Though I kept my eyes downcast, the thought was enough to make me smile.

There was no music playing in the background, only the soft, familiar sounds of nature that accented my steps as I walked barefoot along the forest ground. Time was moving in slow motion – each step that I took seemed to last an age. Halfway down the aisle, I took a deep breath and looked up. His eyes were all that I saw; not the trees that stood steady and strong behind him, nor the small, white flowers that grew delicately at his feet. Just his eyes – a beckoning pool of golden emotion.

I froze. Beside me, Jacob stopped too as he felt the resistance in the arm that I had linked through his. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't turn to look at him. My eyes were still locked on Demetri's. I was shaking; my whole body racked with the tremors that ran through me.

'Jake, I can't,' I whispered.

He didn't fight me. He knew better. Like he had so many months before at Sam's wedding, Jake let me go.

I pulled my arm from his, tearing my eyes away from Demetri's as I spun around and began running. I didn't choose to go there; I don't think I even went there subconsciously. But as the tremors increased beyond my control, I found myself in almost the exact spot I'd broken free of Emily's bridesmaid dress so long ago.

Though I knew it was no use, I still fought vainly for control. But then, as the flames licked at my spine, I reached down to grasp the hem of my dress, preparing to pull it over my head before my phase could tear it to shreds.

I didn't get the chance to pull it off.

Strong hands grasped me around my waist before I could do anything. Demetri spun me gently around to face him, his touch slowly quenching the flames along my spine. I wrapped my arms around him, burying myself in his embrace.

'I'm sorry,' I whispered. I was still shaking, the tremors ever so slightly coursing through me.

'We don't have to do this, Leah,' Demetri said quietly.

I pulled away just enough to look up at him. 'No,' I said, shaking my head as soft lines creased my forehead. 'I _want_ to do this, Demetri. I want to marry you.' And I did. More than anything.

'I know,' Demetri said simply, smiling softly. 'And I want to marry you.'

'I'm sorry,' I said again as his lips brushed my forehead.

Demetri laughed gently. He didn't seem at all bothered by my escape. 'You have nothing to be sorry for.'

I raised my eyebrows and stared at him incredulously. 'I just ran away from our wedding,' I said flatly.

Demetri shrugged. 'You needed to phase.'

And although he didn't ask me to, I knew that I needed to explain what had just happened, maybe more for my own sake than for Demetri's. 'After Sam married Emily,' I began, hesitating slightly, 'I went up to the cliffs –'

'I followed you that night,' Demetri reminded me. His eyes told me that he understood, that I didn't need to explain. Because he knew me. Perhaps even better than I knew myself.

I nodded and smiled at the memory. If I had known then that I would one day love the leech who'd followed me… I pushed the thought aside and continued. 'That night I remember thinking that I didn't care if I was ever happy again. That I would settle for less. All I wanted was to not feel so broken… But now you're here and I _am_ happy. When I saw you standing there in the clearing, I – I guess I was just overwhelmed… Everybody was watching me, _staring_ at me like I was walking into the life I'd always dreamed of… But this isn't the life that I dreamed of, Demetri. I was too afraid to dream of something like this. It's _more_ than I dreamed of and… I don't know, I guess it was all just a bit much to take in.' I lifted a hand to trace a gentle line across his cheek. 'I do want to marry you,' I told him again.

'I know,' Demetri said, echoing his earlier reply. His eyes were closed as he leaned into my touch. 'I just meant that we don't have to do this _out there_ with everybody watching us. Not if you don't want to.'

I frowned. 'What are you talking about?'

Demetri opened his eyes and grinned down at me, that impish grin that I knew so well. 'Let's get married here,' he said. 'Just you and me – without the audience.'

I felt an amused smile tugging at the corners of my lips. 'You're forgetting something,' I reminded him.

'What's that?'

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Demetri softly on the lips. 'We have no one to marry us,' I pointed out, pulling away and looking back up at him. I thought of Billy who, as one of the Quileute elders, was waiting in the clearing to marry us.

Demetri's smile only grew. 'Do you, Leah Clearwater,' he began, 'take me to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part?' Though he still wore his playful smile, I could tell that underneath it all, Demetri was asking me the most important question of his life.

Perhaps I should have laughed along with his absurdities, but I couldn't. The moment had clenched my chest too tightly with emotion. 'I do,' I whispered. It was a few moments before I could speak again. 'Do you, Demetri, take me to be your wife?'

Demetri's eyes smoldered as he stared back at me. 'I do,' he declared, his voice so sure and quiet. He paused only briefly before speaking again. 'I used to be like you, Leah. I didn't believe in love either. I didn't even believe in family. I believed in convenience and strategy, and in partnerships built only on a common goal.'

'Demetri…' I murmured, but he brushed his fingertips gently along my lips to silence me. We'd agreed not to write our own vows. It wasn't that I didn't have the words to tell Demetri how much he meant to me; it was that those words belonged only to him. They were for me to whisper to him when it was just the two of us, hidden away from the rest of the world.

'But you taught me better,' Demetri continued, smiling once more. 'Leah, this isn't the life I dreamed of either. Not because I was afraid to dream it, but because I didn't know that this life existed – not for something like me, anyway. I'm not marrying you today to commit myself to you. I committed myself to you a long time ago. I'm marrying you today because of what that marriage stands for. Because it laughs in the face of everything that the Volturi once taught me. I love you, Leah. And I promise to love you for the rest of my existence.' He picked up my left hand, and slowly traced a ring around my fourth finger with his thumb. 'With this ring,' he grinned, 'I thee wed, declaring to the world that I am forever yours.'

Only my hands were shaking now. 'You saved me,' I managed to tell Demetri. I wanted to say more, but I wasn't sure that I could find the right words to explain it any better. When I looked at him, though, I knew that those words were enough. With shaky breaths, I held Demetri's left hand, doing as he had done and tracing a ring around his finger. 'With this ring,' I said, lifting his hand and kissing where I'd touched his finger, 'I thee wed. Not only because you are mine, but also because I am yours.'

Demetri wasn't smiling now. His eyes blazed with flames of triumph and adoration as he gazed intently into my eyes.

I grinned. 'You may kiss the bride,' I told him.

The smile found its way back to his expression. 'I may kiss the bride,' he murmured in echo, cupping his hands around my face. Ever so slowly, he lifted my face to his, gently pressing his lips against mine. And like I had so many times before, I found myself lost in his scent, his touch.

When I finally broke away, I grabbed his hand. 'C'mon,' I said, tugging him in the direction we'd come from.

Demetri raised his eyebrows but didn't move. 'Where are we going?'

'To get married,' I grinned. 'For the second time, anyway.' I paused. 'Just… don't let me go, okay?'

Demetri chuckled as he followed me back towards the clearing. I turned to see a cheeky smile on his face. 'I wouldn't dream of it,' he laughed. 'Leah, I love you any which way, but trust me, the wolf wouldn't look as beautiful in that wedding dress as the girl.'

I glared at him. 'Shut up, Dracula!' I muttered, trying my best to keep a straight face. When his grin widened, though, I couldn't help but laugh.

It was a few seconds later when the two of us entered the clearing once more. This time, I allowed myself to look around. Everyone was still there, waiting where I'd left them. I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd waited under Demetri's instruction. That, or they'd all known better than to follow me.

Sitting to the left of the aisle in chairs decorated with the same small, white flowers that lined the forest floor, was my mother and Emily. Both were looking at me with worried eyes. I gave them a small, reassuring smile before letting my eyes drift over the rest of the guests. Charlie was sitting beside Sue, holding her hand. Behind them, the Cullens sat, pale and motionless. I didn't try too hard to read their expressions; instead, I turned to look at my brothers who sat to the right of the aisle. Quil was shaking his head and grinning at me. Embry looked over at Quil and rolled his eyes before shooting me a knowing smile. I grinned back. Some of the younger wolves in Sam's pack were also there. They looked a little on edge, but I appreciated their presence all the same.

I swung my head around to the right of me as I felt a strong, warm arm link itself through mine. 'You okay?' Jacob mouthed, looking down at me.

I nodded, whispering a quiet word of thanks.

Though I knew that both Sue and Seth would have done it gladly, I'd asked Jake to walk me down the aisle. Jacob was more than my brother. He was my leader, my alpha. There was nobody I trusted more than him to give me away to Demetri.

So, with my left hand wrapped tightly around Demetri's, and my right arm linked through Jacob's, the three of us walked slowly down the aisle. When we reached the altar, Jake kissed me softly on the cheek before turning to shake Demetri's hand. With one last squeeze of my hand, he turned and left to join Quil and Embry.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. All I knew – all that mattered – was that my hands were locked with Demetri's. When the time came to exchange rings, Demetri lifted the braided string from around my neck. Though I felt strangely bare without it, it was only a few moments before he draped it once more around me. I looked down at the plain, gold band that now hung next to my wooden pendant; it was safe there from my phase. Looking back up at Demetri, I grinned, knowing that I had a ring on my finger that not even my phase could break. I slipped a matching gold band onto Demetri's finger, forever concealing the words I'd engraved inside. Not even Demetri knew that on the inside of his ring, I'd scratched three words to match those on my pendant. _Everything for you_. I looked into his eyes, knowing that I meant them every bit as much as he did.

**(* * *)**

**Demetri**

I allowed my eyes to travel slowly over the guests. Most of them were here for Leah; I knew that. Still, as I caught Embry's eye and returned the grin he threw my way, I knew that I'd found something in La Push that the Volturi had never been able to offer me – a family. I let out a low chuckle; my mind didn't miss the irony of where I'd found it. Leah looked up at me curiously and I squeezed the hand I still held firmly in my own. My wife, my _beautiful_ wife, who'd found a way to give me everything I hadn't even known I was searching for.

The ceremony had barely come to a close when Quil and Embry leapt from their chairs and launched themselves at Leah, tackling her to the ground in a bone-crushing hug.

'Careful,' I warned in a low voice. 'Attack my wife and I attack you.'

Quil looked up at me, his eyes alight with humor. 'Jacob will alpha command you not to,' he countered.

'Minor details,' I chuckled. Jokes like Quil's were part of my everyday life in La Push now. It had been Seth who'd first said something similar. When everyone had turned to stare at him in shock, he'd shrugged, declaring boldly that I was just as much a part of the pack as the rest of his brothers. Strangely enough, nobody had argued with him.

Quil laughed as he released Leah. 'Congrats, bro,' he said, still chuckling as he shook my hand. He cocked his head to the side and regarded me shrewdly as he took a step backwards. 'Imagine the possibilities though…' he murmured suggestively.

I laughed. 'You mean if Jacob _could_ actually command me?'

'Life would be interesting to say the least,' Quil replied, sending a wink Leah's way and snorting under his breath.

'Watch out,' Leah threatened as she returned to her feet, 'or else I'll beta command your sorry ass to run patrols for a week.' Her eyes flashed wickedly as she reached out to shove Quil.

Quil just smiled innocently as he dodged out of her reach. 'Love you too, blushing bride!' he called over his shoulder.

Embry raised his eyebrows as he moved forwards to shake my hand. 'You know what he'd have Jake command you to do, right?'

I laughed, feigning ignorance. 'Not a clue.'

Embry only grinned knowingly before slapping me on the back. 'Congratulations, brother.'

I inclined my head in thanks and then turned to see Leah watching me; a soft smile lifted the corners of her lips. 'What?' I asked, returning the smile.

'You really are brothers,' she told me quietly. 'You and my pack.'

I slipped one arm around Leah's waist and let my free fingertips trail softly through her hair. My own eyes filled with wonder as I searched hers, in awe of the joy that I saw there. 'How did I find someone like you?' I murmured.

'Break it up, lovebirds,' Felix's voice broke in. 'Save the googly eyes for the honeymoon.' I turned just as he threw a light punch my way. Felix chortled and then turned to Leah. 'Demetri does have a point, though,' he told her. 'You're _way_ out of his league.'

Leah grinned up at me, 'Oh, I know,' she said mischievously, laughing as she turned to hug Nattaya.

I turned back to Felix, bumping my fist against his arm as I returned his lighthearted punch. I looked at his muddy red eyes and my mind wandered to the coming weekend. 'Think you can lead this one without me?' I asked him.

Felix didn't need to ask what I was talking about. He rolled his eyes. 'It'll be a piece of cake,' he muttered. 'You should go on honeymoon more often, Dem. It's about time I took charge of a mission.'

I laughed at his use of the word 'mission' – again, it had been Seth who'd first dubbed our tasks _missions_. But the word had caught on quickly enough and even Felix and I had found ourselves using the term occasionally. 'Quil will enjoy this one,' I said. 'He still hasn't come around to the idea of letting some of them live.'

Felix snorted. 'And yet he's okay with the fact that his pack-mate just married one.'

I grinned. After we'd defeated the Volturi, and I'd flown to America, Felix had spent a couple of months wandering through Europe as a lone nomad. When he came across a vampire who'd exposed himself to a small group of humans, Felix had quickly killed the culprit and disposed of his witnesses. Not long afterwards, he'd arrived in La Push, seeking my assistance. _Old habits die hard_, he'd told me. The Volturi were gone but their purpose had not. For all of his faults, Aro's quest to keep our secret safe from the humans had acted to protect both our species and the weak humans that our kind preyed so easily upon. Felix had been right about one thing – with the Volturi dead, that task now fell to us.

And so began our missions. I'd resumed my duties, cataloging each new vampire that came into my knowledge. Most of the time, Leah came too, traveling with me to all parts of the globe to help me fulfill my objective. Every now and again, Felix, Leah and I would set out to dispose of problematic vampires who'd risked exposing our secrets. When a large newborn army arose in Western Canada, however, it hadn't taken long before we'd convinced the rest of Leah's pack and some of the Cullens to help us destroy them. From then onwards, our taskforce had changed with each new mission. Quil and Seth joined us more often than not; Quil, though useful, was all for killing each new vampire that we came across. Jasper came often, too. His experience had proved invaluable when it came to planning and preparing for our larger tasks.

This weekend, Felix, Jasper and the pack would leave to target a smaller newborn army, also in Canada. Though it was the first mission that I hadn't been a part of, I had full confidence in Felix's ability to complete the task efficiently. He had come a long way in the last few months. My eyes flashed to Nattaya and then back to Felix. Strangely enough, it was Nattaya who'd befriended him and encouraged Felix to remain in La Push and work with the wolves to undertake various missions. Though he frequently slipped up, it was with her help that he'd taken to hunting animals. Felix had become very protective of Zara and Simba, too. Though the two young children were speaking perfect English now, Nattaya had ensured that they did not forget their native tongue. To aid her in her goal, Felix, of course, had dedicated hours of his time to learning to speak their language. I found myself smiling at the thought.

'What's up, brother-in-law?' Seth's voice brought me back to the present.

I looked at him and laughed at the enthusiasm I saw clouding his face. 'How're you doing, Seth?' I responded.

Leah's brother grinned, before beginning his excited chatter. 'I _knew_ you'd bring Leah back!' he exclaimed. 'Didn't I, Jake?' I turned to see Jacob standing a few meters away, rolling his eyes. Seth ignored him and continued. 'When she ran off like that, Mum was all for going after her, but I was all like 'Relax guys, Demetri's got this!' and next thing you know, the two of you are walking into the clearing and Leah's smiling like nothing even happened! I _knew _it!'

I bit back my smile. 'Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dude.'

Seth beamed, but his face fell a little as he looked over my shoulder. 'Have you spoken to Mum yet?' he asked quietly.

I turned around to follow his gaze. Leah was standing a little way away with Sue and Emily. 'Not yet,' I said in a low voice.

Seth bit his lip. 'She'll come around.'

I gave him a reassuring smile. 'Let's hope so.'

I knew that Leah's mother wasn't my biggest fan. Though she was polite enough when she saw me, her protective instinct over her daughter put her a little ill at ease in my company. Still, she wasn't my worst fan either. My eyes drifted over Emily. She was here alone, without Sam. Under normal circumstances, Emily might have been happy enough to strike up a conversation with me. As it was, though, her husband's opinion of me meant that she did her best to stay away. I smiled grimly. The only thing that kept Sam from attacking me was Jacob. Not long after I'd arrived in La Push, Jacob had used his authority over Sam to issue him with an alpha command to leave me alone. I knew that it had been difficult for Jacob to do – Sam, after all, was not even part of his pack.

I looked at Jacob. 'Thanks,' I said quietly, expressing my gratitude for more than just walking Leah down the aisle.

Jacob nodded. His eyes flickered to where Leah stood, laughing with her family. 'She's happy now. So thank you.'

At that moment, Leah turned and caught my eye. Her lips continued to move as she spoke to her mother, but her eyes remained locked with mine. After a while, she looked back at Sue and said one last thing to her mother before giving her arm a quick squeeze and turning back to me. As Leah began to walk towards me, my breath caught in my throat. She was beautiful. She was always beautiful, but today there was a subtle radiance about her, glowing from her expression and illuminating the beauty of everything around her. My once broken angel.

I left Jacob and began walking towards Leah. She said I'd saved her life, but she wasn't alone in that thought. She'd saved mine too. Sure there were challenges we'd meet and tough decisions that would come our way, but together I knew that we would meet them head on.

As we met, she held my hands. 'I love you,' she whispered.

I circled my arms around her waist, pulling her body closer to mine. I could feel her heart beating against my chest, keeping her alive. The soft thuds coursed through me, almost as if they were my own. As if her heart was my own. I smiled and pressed my lips against hers. Perhaps I was more right than I realized. Perhaps Leah's heart _was_ my own. Because something that maybe not even she knew was that her heart was keeping more than just her alive. Her heart was keeping _me_ alive.

* * *

><p><strong>With this being the last chapter, I have a few things to get through before I let you all go.<strong>

**Firstly, the future of this story:  
>It was with a lot of sadness that I completed this epilogue. I've loved writing about these two characters more than I ever dreamed I would. I'm not sure if this is the end. I am certainly not opposed to the idea of continuing Leah and Demetri's story. I have, in a sense, used this epilogue to lay a platform for a future story. In fact, I have another story in my mind already. The thing is, I'm not entirely sure whether it is not best to just leave these two here. If you all feel that this story has come to a close, then I'd prefer not to start up again. I don't know – I just don't want anyone getting sick of Leah and Demetri, I guess.<strong>

**Secondly, I have a request for you. If you have read this story, then please leave a review (even if it's just one word). Or, if you're opposed to the idea, send me a PM. Even if you hated it, I would appreciate hearing from you. I would really love to have an idea of how many people have actually stuck with this story. I'm sorry – curiosity has gotten the best of me and so I thought I'd just ask. Also, you don't actually have to be a member of the site to leave a review.**

**Lastly, and most importantly, I have a lot of thank yous to get through. When I posted up the first few chapters of AYDF, I did so simply because I was looking for somewhere to keep my story. I actually didn't even know that reviews existed! And then one day I opened up my inbox and there were all these review notifications. I couldn't believe it – I still can't. Without your reviews, I doubt that this story would have ever been finished. They have been incredibly humbling and I wish I could tell you all how much they mean. The best I can do is this: to everyone who has ever reviewed either EFY or AYDF, thank you. I've tried to write thanks you to most of you (they're in alphabetical order for the most part). I just hope I haven't missed anyone out. If I have, please, please forgive me. So, without further ado:**

**45JacobBlackandAlexRusso46,Adrianna, akira, Alexie112, alien.94, anon, ArcticBloodWolf, BabyLovinCullen, Berry, moothie, Echo101, Flossie, FunnyGirl, gaaragirl202, Gracie8290, Kaitlyn, Katt423, kim kelly, LagoonNebula, lela, LunaAliceMason, Mason and Alex, PAM, PiperMcLean351, Sahdri, Sem1907, ShadowCub, SleepyWolf2365, SoWhat73, Steph, Sunny, Thogje, ToyaMae, Wild Thing, wreckless angel** – Thank you all for leaving your thoughts and words of encouragement!

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